House owners of Peanut the squirrel plan to sue after he was euthanized

The house owners of Peanut the squirrel, which took the web by storm after his “unlawful and improper killing,” alongside along with his raccoon pal Fred, by New York authorities, are planning to sue the state, accusing officers of presidency overreach and abuse.  

Mark Longo and Daniela Bittner filed a discover of declare towards the state after each animals had been taken from the couple’s upstate residence and animal sanctuary in rural Pine Metropolis, close to the Pennsylvania border, throughout a raid by the Division of Environmental Conservation (DEC) on Oct. 30.

The declare accuses authorities of violating the couple’s rights by taking the animals, invasion of privateness and trespass, amongst different claims. 

Peanut, or P’Nut, and Fred had been killed to be examined for rabies, which was “unfounded” and “unjustified,” in keeping with the submitting. Authorities knew the animals did not have rabies, it stated. 

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Peanut or P’Nut the squirrel has 532,000 followers on Instagram. His house owners are planning to sue New York state over the animal’s seizure and euthanasia.  (@peanut_the_squirrel12/Instagram)

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The state stated an agent was bitten throughout the raid, sparking the necessity for the assessments, the New York Put up reported. 

Of their discover, the couple referred to as that an “excuse” and alleged the “fabrication of proof,” the court docket paperwork stated. Even when there was a danger of rabies, “which is close to unimaginable and disputed,” DEC brokers ought to have identified the best way to deal with wild or different animals with out getting bitten, the paperwork state. 

“It seems as if there have been a number of constitutional regulation violations right here — or on the very least, there are a lot of questions as to why the federal government selected the actions that they selected,” the couple’s legal professional, Nora Constance Marino, instructed Fox Information Digital in a press release. “Getting into somebody’s home and looking out it’s such an excessive violation of that individual’s proper to privateness, and that is why we’ve got a Fourth Modification, to guard us from unreasonable searches and seizures.”

“Likewise, there are a lot of questions as to why Peanut and Fred had been killed. There was no purpose, by any means, to consider that both animal had rabies, and killing the animals was exterior the scope of the warrant,” she added.  “My shoppers have suffered significantly and proceed to undergo, from what seems to be egregious authorities conduct. Authorities wields nice energy, and if left unchecked, can have disastrous outcomes for residents.  That is what makes our United States Structure so valuable, and it must be honored.”

Peanut was rescued at 5 weeks outdated by his adoptive human mother and father after his mom was run over by a automobile. (@peanut_the_squirrel12/Instagram)

The DEC stated it would not touch upon pending litigation. 

The submitting additional alleges that “the notion {that a} DEC agent and/or different respondents’ agent was ‘bitten’ by Peanut could also be false and/or manufactured.”

“It’s additional submitted that even when an agent was in actual fact bitten, killing Peanut would nonetheless be pointless, unjustified, improper, and unlawful, it’s additional submitted that there isn’t a declare that Fred the raccoon bit anybody, and thus, the killing of Fred was pointless, unjustified, improper, and unlawful,” the submitting states. 

Peanut was an web sensation earlier than his loss of life. An Instagram web page devoted to him has greater than 915,000 followers. 

Longo and his spouse established the animal sanctuary, referred to as “P’Nut’s Freedom Farm,” final yr, impressed by the squirrel. Longo instructed his followers that he had taken the rodent in after he witnessed the squirrel’s mom being hit by a automobile. The squirrel refused to return to the wild and have become connected to the couple. 

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Peanut or P’Nut the squirrel, who had over 500,000 followers on Instagram, was euthanized by New York State officers final week. (@peanut_the_squirrel12/Instagram)

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In a earlier interview with TMZ, Longo stated Peanut’s loss of life tore his household aside. 

“Peanut was the cornerstone of our non-profit animal rescue,” he stated. “And 10 to 12 DEC officers raided my home as if I used to be a drug supplier. I sat exterior my home for 5 hours. I needed to get a police escort to my lavatory.”

Fox Information Digital’s Michael Dorgan contributed to this report.