"Fearing Rabies Transmission to Humans"... US Government Euthanized 'Star Squirrel'

Forced Seizure by New York Environmental Protection Agency Following Netizen Reports
SNS "Vote Trump for Animals" Supporters' Offensive

A man who operated a private animal shelter in New York claims that his pet squirrel 'Pineot' was seized by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) and euthanized.

Squirrel Peanut. [Image source=Captured from Mark Longo's Instagram (@pnuts_freedom_farm)]

On the 1st (local time), foreign media including CNN reported that on the 30th of last month, six police officers from the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation raided the home of Pineot's owner, Mark Longo (34), and confiscated his squirrel 'Pineot' and raccoon 'Fred.' Longo claimed that the environmental authorities raided his home without a search warrant, took away the squirrel and raccoon, and euthanized them.

Longo expressed his anger on his social media, saying, "Internet, you won. Because of your selfishness, my coolest animal was taken away," and "I hope those of you who filed complaints with the Department of Environmental Conservation go to hell. Pineot was my best friend and the center of my world."

Longo said that seven years ago, Pineot's mother was killed in a roadkill accident, and he took in the baby squirrel Pineot and raised him for eight months. Later, Longo released Pineot into the wild, but the next day Pineot was found in front of Longo's house with half of his tail missing and bones protruding. Judging that Pineot could not survive in the wild, Longo started raising him again. After Longo posted Pineot's story on social media, Pineot quickly became a 'star squirrel.' On social media, you can see Pineot wearing a cowboy hat, eating food, or playing in Longo's hands.

Originally working as a mechanical engineer, Longo established the animal shelter 'P’Nuts Freedom Farm' last year after meeting Pineot. He was rescuing and raising animals nationwide, including horses, goats, and alpacas, that were facing euthanasia. However, he lamented that donations for operating the animal shelter significantly decreased after Pineot was seized.

However, a spokesperson for the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation stated that Longo was keeping wild animals that could transmit rabies in an unsafe manner and was illegally keeping wild animals as pets. Due to "frequent public reports," they investigated and confiscated the squirrel Pineot. The New York State authorities said in a statement, "We seized the raccoon and squirrel after observing them living with humans. This was due to the risk of humans being exposed to rabies," and "During the animal investigation, some personnel were bitten by the squirrel. It was euthanized to check for rabies." However, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation reportedly did not respond to CNN's question about whether Pineot was actually euthanized.

Regarding this, Longo claimed that he submitted documents to the authorities to certify Pineot as an 'educational animal.' He appealed, saying, "If we did not follow the rules, please guide us in the right direction to comply," and "Please tell us what we need to do so that Pineot can just live at home and not worry about being taken away elsewhere."

Longo is not the first case of a pet being seized by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. In March, a man whose alligator was confiscated by the department sued the agency to get it back.

AI-generated images combining a squirrel on Trump's shoulder, mainly among Trump supporters, continue to be shared.
[Image source=Capture from X (formerly Twitter)]

Especially ahead of the U.S. presidential election, prominent figures have also joined the debate. Elon Musk, a prominent supporter of Donald Trump, posted on X (formerly Twitter), emphasizing, "A squirrel was kidnapped and executed due to government overreach." AI-generated images of a squirrel photoshopped on Trump's shoulder continue to be shared, mainly among Trump supporters. Far-right activist Robbie Starbuck posted AI photos of squirrels and raccoons on X, saying, "The animals are asking you to vote for Trump for their safety."