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New York DEC officers seized Peanut the squirrel and Fred the raccoon from Mark Longo’s Pine City home on October 30, 2024, under a search warrant. Authorities said Peanut bit a DEC worker during the operation, and that both animals were euthanized so they could be tested for rabies; a county official later reported that both tests were negative. Records-based reporting shows officials discussed testing before the seizure and that a rehabilitator was lined up as a possible recipient for Peanut, but it does not establish that the final decision to euthanize him had already been made.
Who was Peanut?
Mark Longo said he found Peanut as an orphan after the squirrel’s mother was hit by a car. Peanut later became popular on social media and was associated with P’Nuts Freedom Farm in Pine City, New York. The seizure drew national attention because many followers saw Peanut as a familiar individual animal, while authorities treated the case as a wildlife-possession and public-health matter.
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What happened: the timeline
| Date | What is reported |
|---|---|
| October 30, 2024 | DEC officers executed a judge-signed search warrant at Longo’s home and seized Peanut and Fred. Authorities said the investigation concerned alleged unlawful wildlife possession and potentially unsafe housing. |
| During the seizure | Authorities said Peanut bit a DEC worker. AP’s later review of released records described a call to a county health official after the reported bite. |
| October 30–November 1, 2024 | State and county officials said Peanut and Fred were euthanized so they could be tested for rabies. |
| November 12, 2024 | Chemung County Executive Chris Moss reported that both animals tested negative, according to AP. |
| April 22, 2025 | AP published an account based on released records, describing advance discussion of rabies testing and a possible transfer of Peanut to a wildlife rehabilitator. |
| 2025–2026 legislative session | Peanut’s Law was proposed in New York. The official Senate page checked lists the measure as pending, not enacted. |
Why did authorities seize Peanut and Fred?
Authorities said the investigation involved complaints about allegedly unlawful possession and potentially unsafe housing of wildlife. The seizure was conducted under a search warrant. New York regulates possession of wildlife, but this account cannot determine whether the specific possession or enforcement action was lawful. The dossier does not establish that a completed authorization covering Peanut was in force when officers seized him.
Longo and supporters disputed how officials handled the case. Reports said Longo and his partner had taken steps toward wildlife-rehabilitator authorization, but steps toward a license are not proof that a completed authorization covered a particular animal. The available material does not resolve the legal dispute.
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Why were the animals euthanized?
Officials said Peanut’s reported bite created a rabies-testing concern and that both animals had to be euthanized to obtain samples for testing. The later negative results answer what the tests found; they do not by themselves establish whether the initial risk assessment was reasonable or whether euthanasia was legally required.
AP’s April 2025 records-based report says officials discussed rabies testing before the seizure because human contact with wild animals could create a potential exposure, and that testing required euthanasia so brain tissue could be examined. It also says a state employee had arranged for a wildlife rehabilitator as a possible recipient for Peanut. Longo and supporters interpreted advance preparations as evidence that euthanasia was predetermined. The reported bite and consultation with a county health official are also part of the account. The records described in the dossier do not conclusively establish when the final decision was made or what alternatives were available.
What do the records establish—and what remains disputed?
AP’s reporting provides a records-based chronology that includes the investigation, the signed warrant, pre-seizure testing discussions, the reported bite, and the possible rehabilitator transfer. These details help explain why critics questioned whether the outcome was decided in advance, but they do not prove that claim. Judicial Watch also described records obtained through a freedom-of-information lawsuit and characterized them as evidence of abuse of power. That is the organization’s interpretation and should not be treated as a final legal finding.
The dossier does not establish a final court ruling on the warrant, seizure, or euthanasia. It also does not confirm the current status of any civil lawsuit Longo or Bittner may have filed, so no current lawsuit posture can be stated here.
What is Peanut’s Law?
Peanut’s Law, also called the Humane Animal Protection Act, was proposed in New York’s 2025–2026 legislative session. The proposals included administrative-hearing protections and a 72-hour waiting period in specified circumstances. The New York Senate page checked lists the measure as pending, not enacted. The proposal should not be described as current law or as changing wildlife-possession rules unless it is enacted.
What should people who find wildlife do?
Anyone who finds an injured or orphaned wild animal should contact the relevant state wildlife agency or an authorized wildlife rehabilitator before taking possession or displaying the animal. A wild animal’s apparent tameness or social-media popularity does not establish that it may legally be kept. Requirements vary by location, so consult official agency guidance for the applicable rules.
Frequently Asked Questions
Did Peanut have rabies?
No. Chemung County Executive Chris Moss reported that both Peanut and Fred tested negative for rabies, according to AP’s November 12, 2024 report.
Why was Peanut euthanized if his test was negative?
The test result came after Peanut had been euthanized. Officials said the reported bite created a rabies-testing concern and that euthanasia was needed to obtain samples. A negative result does not, by itself, settle whether that decision was justified.
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AP reported that records showed advance discussions about testing and a possible rehabilitator transfer. Longo and supporters viewed the preparations as evidence that euthanasia was predetermined. The dossier does not establish that the final decision had already been made; officials also cited the reported bite and a consultation with a county health official.
Was there a search warrant?
Yes. The records-based reporting cited in the dossier says a judge signed a search warrant, which DEC officers executed at Longo’s home on October 30, 2024.
Did Peanut’s Law become law?
Not according to the New York Senate page checked for this research. It lists the proposal as pending in the 2025–2026 legislative session.
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