Owners of Peanut the Squirrel are suing the state of New York for $10 million
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Mark Longo with Peanut the Squirrel (Image via Instagram/@peanut_the_squirrel12)The owners of Peanut the Squirrel, a viral social media star who was euthanized by health and environment officials in October 2024, have filed a lawsuit claiming $10 million in damages against the State of New York.
Peanut, who was known as P’Nut on social media, was euthanized when officials from the state’s environmental conservation department and the county’s health department raided Mark Longo and Daniela Bittner’s home and animal sanctuary in upstate New York, as per New York Post.
The publication notes that DEC claimed at the time that the squirrel, who was put down alongside Longo and Bittner’s pet raccoon named Fred, bit an official through leather gloves and consequently needed to be euthanized and tested for rabies. Raccoons and squirrels are also considered wild animals, and its is illegal for them to be kept as domestic pets in the state of New York, as per New York Post.
Longo took to Peanut the Squirrel’s Instagram page to address the lawsuit, and wrote,
“You took a big part of me, you murdered 2 happy healthy animals then you lied about it. You claimed rabies when in fact, squirrels have never transmitted rabies ever. This was a target. This was an assassination. You brought 12 agents to my home. you spent 5 hours taking apart my life. You killed my animals, and You walked away without a care in the world. Today we stand tall, today we fight back, today we make sure you cant never hurt another animal again.”
All about Peanut the Squirrel’s death
Peanut, a rescue squirrel, lived in Pine City, New York with Mark Longo and Daniela Bittner alongside other animals that the couple rescued at their P'Nuts Freedom Farm Animal Sanctuary as per USA Today.
The publication noted that the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation and Chemung County Department of Health seized Peanut the squirrel and a raccoon in October 2024 after an investigator was bit to test the animals for rabies after putting them down. In a statement released by both departments, officials said that the animals had been euthanized the same day that they were taken, according to USA Today.
New York Post said that both animals tested negative for rabies, but their bodies were never returned.
The $10 million lawsuit filed by Longo and Bittner in New York Court of Claims with DEC and DOH as defendants, alleges that the killing of their animals was an “obscene demonstration of government abuse,” and a “senseless act of violence,” and not, as the officials claimed, “due to a fear of rabies,” according to the New York Post.
The publication notes that the couple has cited that they underwent emotional trauma due to the deaths of the squirrel and the raccoon, and also suffered financial losses owing to the fact that Peanut was a social media star and featured in monetized content uploaded by Longo.
As per Washington Times, Longo and Bittner filed another lawsuit against the New York state, Chemung County, and various other agencies for killing their animals. The publication noted that in the filing, the couple claimed,
“Peanut and Fred were not ‘euthanized’, which is the act or practice of killing or permitting death in the of hopelessly sick or injured individuals. Peanut and Fred were healthy, young, thriving, happy animals. They were executed, not euthanized.”
Although the couple sought damages, they did not state the amount at the time.
TOPICS: Peanut the Squirrel, New York