The New York couple whose beloved pet squirrel and raccoon were killed by wildlife officials in 2024 has decided it's time to seek justice after the pain they've gone through.
During the 2024 presidential campaign, one story really seemed to hit home about government outreach, and that was of Peanut the Squirrel (also known as P'Nut) and his furry friend, Fred the Raccoon. The animals were rescued by Mark Longo and his girlfriend Daniela Bittner, where two little guys lived happily at his Freedom Farm Animal Sanctuary. P'Nut was even famous for numerous videos of his antics going viral.
That was until October 30, when the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation decided to raid the sanctuary, take Peanut and Fred, and promptly kill them. At the time, authorities alleged that the squirrel had bitten one of the DEC officials. Due to a rabies risk, both pets had to be decapitated and tested for rabies.
On Monday, the New York Post reported that Longo and Bittner are now seeking justice for their late little fury friends, suing the state of New York. According to a lawsuit filed in the New York Court of Claims, the grieving couple is seeking $10 million after the state seized and euthanized Peanut and Fred. Subsequently, after the animals were dead and tested, the results came back negative.
More: Government Overreach Run Amok: NY State Kills Peanut the Squirrel
P'Nut the Squirrel Must Be Avenged! Couple Takes Action Against Nasty Government Overreach
Despite the unnecessary death of their animals, no one from the state has apologized or tried to make amends for the actions.
The report read:
The killing of P'Nut and Fred was "not due to a fear of rabies" – but a "senseless act of violence" and "obscene demonstration of government abuse," charge the new court documents, which list the state, the DEC and DOH as defendants.
The allegations echo those outlined in a separate lawsuit filed by Longo and Bittner on June 27 in Chemung County Supreme Court, against the county, the City of Elmira and 36 individuals from every level of local and state government.
That suit sought unspecified damages to be determined by a jury trial.
As my RedState colleague Bob Hoge reported in April, the DEC story was so much worse than we previously thought.
READ MORE: New Details Emerge About the Killing of Peanut the Squirrel, and They're Even Worse Than You Thought
MORE: Peanut the Squirrel's Fate Draws Supreme Attention
He wrote about what the conservative group Judicial Watch found:
Two tweets read:
"New York State bureaucrats did not want to turn over these documents, but Judicial Watch's lawsuit forced their hand," Judicial Watch President @TomFitton… 2/3
"The documents show an abuse of power where 12 officers were sent in on a raid to seize Peanut and Fred, who the bureaucrats decided beforehand would be killed @TomFitton." 3/3
A statement from the group read:
These documents show the killing of Peanut the Squirrel and Fred the Racoon was the result of pure government abuse and insanity."
The event sparked public outrage. President Trump's supporters "denounced the death of Peanut the Squirrel as a case of government overreach." JD Vance, campaigning for President Trump, said that then-candidate Trump was "fired up" about Peanut being euthanized.
United States Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch even gave the little squirrel a shoutout at the time, saying it was a classic case of government outreach, something he had seen way too often, RedState reported.
We can only hope that once the state has to pay the eight-figure cost for their reckless actions, it sends a ripple effect to any other agency that had it in their minds that the seizure and killing of these animals was ever acceptable. Justice for Peanut and Fred!
Editor's Note: The mainstream media continues to deflect, gaslight, spin, and lie about President Trump, his administration, and conservatives.
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