The case of Peanut the Squirrel and Fred the Raccoon ignited national outrage – especially on social media.
When the news broke detailing how law enforcement officers conducted a raid on the home of Mark Longo and his wife over his possession of a pet squirrel and raccoon, many criticized the move as a blatant example of government outreach.
This story not only highlights what happened to the Longos, but also what happens to numerous Americans across the country on a regular basis – a practice that will continue as long as people are unwilling to take a stand.
Longo rescued Peanut, an eastern gray squirrel, in 2017 after its mother was killed by a car. After being unable to find a shelter to take in the animal, Longo decided to keep him as a pet. Over the years, the squirrel became an internet sensation, with his Instagram account amassing over half a million followers.
Peanut’s fame inspired the couple to create P’Nuts Freedom Farm Animal Sanctuary in Pine City, New York.
On October 30, officers from the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) and the Chemung County Health Department raided Longo’s home after anonymous complaints about “illegal” wildlife possession. The officers seized the animals over concerns that they could transmit rabies and because the owner did not have the proper permits to own them.
The DEC claimed Peanut had bitten one of the officers while being seized, and euthanized the animals as a result.
Longo’s supporters condemned the state’s actions, calling them excessive and unnecessary.
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The case has also sparked a broader discussion about the rights of individuals to care for wild animals and the extent to which the state should have the authority to intervene.
This is clearly a case of government overreach in which New York’s government violated the Longos' property rights. The Fifth and 14th Amendments are supposed to protect people against the deprivation of property without due process. The state’s seizure and destruction of the Longos' property is a brazen violation of these rights, especially since it appears the state did not provide adequate notice about the issue, nor did it go through a formal process before stealing the animals.
It is also worth questioning whether licensing requirements should even apply to someone like Longo. He was not keeping a zoo in his home – he merely adopted two animals as pets. If he were the type to refuse to care for the animals or ensure they were not dangerous, requiring a license would do nothing to stop him. To put it simply, there was absolutely no valid justification for New York’s actions.
The Longos' story is one of many that happen across the country in blue and red states. Last year, I wrote about the case of José Barragán Gudiño, an Arkansas resident who went through a similar ordeal when the Hot Spring County Sheriff’s Office stole his animals under false allegations of animal cruelty.
Upon returning home on March 13, 2023, he found deputies at his property who were supposedly responding to reports of his puppies wandering near the street. They searched his property without a warrant and falsely claimed his dogs were in poor condition. The officers also used his ownership of game fowl and claimed it was illegal to own them because they are often used for cockfighting.
There is no such law in Arkansas, and Gudiño was not engaged in cockfighting. Nevertheless, the authorities seized his dogs and chickens and threatened to charge him if he did not abandon his claim to the animals.
When the government can summarily seize one’s property without due process while making it difficult to retrieve it, it is hard to argue that we live in a state that values liberty. Neither Longo nor Gudiño violated anyone’s rights by owning their animals. They did not endanger anyone’s physical well-being or their property. Yet, the government saw fit to bully them and steal their animals.
These incidents are a slap in the face to Americans who are concerned about rising rates of violent crime. While actual criminals are running the streets – some being let out of jail in progressive cities – these governments view animal ownership as a pressing issue that must be addressed. A little bit of murder and mayhem is acceptable as long as people don’t own animals that are not approved by the state, after all.
Unfortunately, many of those whose cases do not hit the national news are often unable to fight back. Everyday people simply lack the funding and other resources necessary to take on local, state, and federal governments, making it incredibly difficult to make sure their rights are respected and protected.
This problem is only going to get worse. When corrupt government officials know they can treat citizens in this fashion without facing accountability, they have no incentive to stay on the straight and narrow.
