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Social media famous squirrel seized, euthanized by New York officials

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A squirrel named P’Nut who found social media fame was recently seized an euthanized by New York state officials last week. The animal had amassed more than a million followers across platforms like Instagram and TikTok, where his owner, Mark Longo, shared videos of the squirrel’s daily antics.

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“They just took my best friend for the last seven years,” Longo told TMZ. “The firefight has just begun. This needs to be used as an example of how this state uses their resources and their power.”

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Longo had raised P’Nut since rescuing the animal after its mother was hit by a car in a busy downtown Manhattan street.

Longo said attempts to release P’Nut into the wild were unsuccessful due to repeated attacks from other animals. That led to Longo keeping the squirrel in his home, where he filmed P’Nut’s daily activities and shared them online.

The squirrel was put down following a raid by New York’s Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC). According to Longo, the DEC carried this out with a full search warrant. Officers seized both P’Nut and a pet raccoon named Fred, which was also euthanized.

“They got a search warrant, signed off on a squirrel and a raccoon, and then they took them and killed them,” Longo said. “DEC officers raided my house as if I was a drug dealer. I was sat outside my house for five hours. I had to get a police escort to my bathroom.”

The agency claimed the raid was prompted by concerns voiced to them by other citizens. They claimed P’Nut was ultimately euthanized in order to test the animal for rabies after it allegedly bit one of the state officials involved in the raid.

“Following multiple reports from the public about the potentially unsafe housing of wildlife that could carry rabies and the illegal keeping of wildlife as pets, DEC conducted an investigation,” the agency said in a statement. “DEC’s investigation is ongoing and additional information will be provided as it becomes available.”

However, despite the statement, Longo said he doesn’t believe this to be the true reason P’nut was taken from his home. He alleges that officials targeted him due to his and his wife’s involvement in adult content on OnlyFans.

They believe this was the case since no citation or other violation of law has been issued since the raid was carried out.

“I think there’s an ulterior motive here, and it seems it has to do with my spicy social media presence,” Longo said. “Especially since other than taking the animals, they took no action against me.”

Revenue from the animal’s social media helped fund P’Nut’s Freedom Farm Animal Sanctuary. The sanctuary is a nonprofit animal rescue organization Longo founded.

He described P’Nut as the “cornerstone” of the organization. Longo also expressing uncertainty over how the sanctuary will continue without the funding generated from P’Nut’s online presence. He did confirm that potential legal action may follow.

“You just put the entire organization in jeopardy,” Longo said. “You came to a case that had animals in good possession, and you took them and killed them. I don’t know how we’re going to fund this organization anymore without P’Nut’s social media. I haven’t a clue.”

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[Jack]

P’NUT THE SQUIRREL HAD BECOME A POPULAR SOCIAL MEDIA STAR-

AMASSING OVER A MILLION FOLLOWERS ACROSS SEVERAL PLATFORMS.

BUT FANS OF THE ANIMAL’S DAILY ANTICS WERE SADDENED BY NEWS THAT IT HAD BEEN PUT DOWN-

AFTER NEW YORK STATE OFFICIALS SEIZED THE SQUIRREL LAST WEEK.

THE REASONS FOR THE MOVE – VARY WIDELY.

FROM ACCUSATIONS OF RABIES – TO RUMORS OF RESENTMENT OVER A SUCCESSFUL ONLYFANS ACCOUNT RUN BY THE ANIMALS OWNERS.

“They just took my best friend for the last seven years, and they’ll never bring him back.”

MARK LONGO SPEAKING TO TMZ SAYS HE’D BEEN RAISING P’NUT FOR THE LAST SEVEN YEARS-

TAKING THE ANIMAL IN AFTER ITS MOTHER WAS HIT BY A CAR ON A BUSY DOWNTOWN MANHATTAN STREET.

PRIOR ATTEMPTS TO RELEASE P’NUT BACK INTO THE WILD FAILED-

AS THE SQUIRREL WAS REPEATEDLY ATTACKED BY OTHER ANIMALS.

SO P’NUT GOT HIS OWN ROOM WITHIN LONGO’S NEW YORK HOME-

WHERE HE CARED FOR THE SQUIRREL, POSTING VIDEOS OF IT TO INSTAGRAM AND TIKTOK.

REVENUE FROM WHICH LONGO SAYS HELPED SUPPORT AN ANIMAL RESCUE CHARITY-

DUBBED P’NUT’S FREEDOM FARM ANIMAL SANCTUARY.

“We started a non profit Animal Rescue called peanuts freedom farm to help animals like peanuts fight a good fight when they’re in a neglected case or they’re sitting in a slaughter auction. And he was the cornerstone of our life and our organization. We used his platform to help raise money for the 300 animals we have at our sanctuary.”

LONGO BELIEVES THE REASON HE WAS TARGETED BY STATE OFFICIALS, IS THAT HE AND HIS WIFE CREATE ADULT CONTENT FOR ONLYFANS-

SPECULATING THIS TO BE THE CASE BECAUSE NO CITATION OR OTHER VIOLATION OF LAW WAS ISSUED AFTER P NUT’S REMOVAL.

THE NEW YORK’S DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION SAYS IT RECEIVED MULTIPLE REPORTS ABOUT THE SQUIRREL FROM CONCERNED MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC.

LEADING TO THEM CONDUCTING ON A RAID ON LONGO’S HOME.

“DEC officers raided my house as if I was a drug dealer. I was sat outside my house for five hours. I had to get a police escort to my bathroom.”

OFFICERS SEIZED P’NUT FROM THE PREMISES AND ULTIMATELY EUTHANIZED THE ANIMAL TO TEST FOR RABIES AFTER THE SQUIRREL ALLEGEDLY BIT ONE OF THE PEOPLE INVOLVED IN REMOVING IT.

A PET RACOON NAMED FRED THAT LONGO ALSO CARED FOR WAS TAKEN AND PUT DOWN AS WELL.

“They got a search warrant four departments and a judge signed off on a search warrant for a squirrel in a raccoon, and then they took them and killed them.”

LONGO SAYS THAT FOLLOWING P’NUT’S DEATH HE’LL NOW BE LOOKING INTO PURSUING LEGAL ACTION AGAINST THE STATE-

ADDING THAT HE’S UNSURE OF HOW THE ANIMAL SANCTUARY WILL KEEP RUNNING WITHOUT FUNDS FROM THE SQUIRREL’S VIDEOS.

“You just put the entire organization in jeopardy. Because I don’t know how we’re going to fund this organization anymore without this social media. I haven’t a clue.”

FOR STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS, I’M JACK AYLMER.