Gorsuch: Peanut the Squirrel Shows Overreach of Government
The New York Department of Conservation euthanized Peanut and Fred the Raccoon and confirmed both tested negative for rabies.
Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch used Peanut the Squirrel as an example of government overreach at the Federalist Society’s annual dinner.
“I’ve just seen too many cases like that. You have just the other day, some of you might have seen one in the newspaper, if the newspapers are to be believed,” Gorsuch told the crowd of conservative legal minds packed into the Washington Hilton’s ballroom.
“Yes, I’m speaking of P’nut the squirrel,” Gorsuch continued.
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Gorsuch went on to joke there’s “maybe a sordid side” of P’nut’s tale, referencing reports that the squirrel’s owner has an OnlyFans account.
“[It] may contain a website that’s called ‘just for fans,’” Gorsuch said. “I don’t know the details. I’m not aware of any allegation that P’nut was involved in any of those acts.”
Hey, let’s not forget Fred the Raccoon!
Peanut enjoyed attention on social media for the past seven years thanks to his owners Mark and Daniela Longo.
Peanut and Fred became national news just before the election when the New York Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) snatched them from their owners.
Four state agencies and a judge signed off on the warrant.
The Longos said the police treated them like criminals as they raided the house:
“Peanut was the best thing that ever happened to us,” Longo told TMZ, with his wife by his side.
“It not only tears my family apart, but Peanut was the cornerstone of our non-profit animal rescue,” he added. “And ten to twelve DEC officers raided my house as if I was a drug dealer. I sat outside my house for five hours. I had to get a police escort to my bathroom. I wasn’t even allowed to feed my rescue horses breakfast or lunch. I sat there like a criminal after they interrogated my wife to check her immigration status.”
An Instagram account dedicated to Peanut has over 565,000 followers. Asked why the DEC targeted him and his wife, Longo said they don’t “have a clue.”
“We have no idea who made the complaints. Again, Peanut was an indoor squirrel, not harming anybody. He’s been with us for seven years. Not a single complaint was ever filed,” he added.
It was never about rabies.
Chemung County Executive Christopher Moss admitted both animals tested negative for rabies.
The government marked them for death before the raid:
“Results are negative,” Chemung County Executive Christopher Moss told The Post Tuesday.
A newly revealed timeline shows state officials advised the county to euthanize the pets a full seven days before they were taken from their unofficial caretaker Mark Longo on Oct. 30 — even though the Department of Environmental Conservation later said the squirrel bit an agent during the raid, sparking the need for the test.
“Wildlife cannot be confined like domestic animals, and if there was an exposure, the animals would need to be tested for rabies,” the State Department of Health wrote the county on Oct. 23 — a message that all but sealed the animals’ fates, as rabies tests require decapitation so subjects’ heads can be opened and their brains sampled.
Days later on Oct. 29 the DEC had laid their plans to raid Longo’s home, but the DEC was also already coordinating the animals’ euthanizations with Elmira Animal Control, the county’s timeline shows — directly contradicting their previous explanation that P’Nut had prompted his own euthanization.
“I’m in utter shock,” Longo told The Post when shown the timeline. “I’d like to give you a proper statement, but for now I’ll just say ‘Wow.’”
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Comments
Monsters are real, but they look like people.
Porn actors keeping wild animals without the proper permits compounded by babysitting kids in the same house. Cry me a river.
Without proper permits. So.. that makes it okay? This wasn’t a freaking wolverine, it was a squirrel. The very same animal that was a popular pet for much of this country’s history.
Doesn’t matter. It’s a wild animal and these laws have been on the books for decades.
Doesn’t matter. It’s a black man, and these laws have been on the books for decades.
Same logic – same result.
Doesn’t matter. It’s a Jew, and these laws have been on the books for decades.
Same logic – same result.
If a non-violent crime warrants a swat team, what does hunting out of season demand – the NY National Guard?
IMO – the lies told in the coverup clearly demonstrate consciousness of guilt.
Huh, that’s an interesting take…..kinda like the lack of a firearms tax/paperwork led to Ruby Ridge.
I am trying to understand your “logic” here.
P’nut was a rescued by Longo and bottle fed and then released. P’nut came back after he was attacked by another animal and his tail bitten off.
Are you saying that people need a permit to exhibit kindness and compassion to an animal?
Are you saying that the choice of the animal to life should be ignored? That the animal has no say in the matter?
Are you saying that babysitting somehow means that people cannot take care of and rescue animals?
You do realize that one of the signs of mental illness and violence is the way a person treats animals, right? In that you have no concern and appear to be thrilled with the outcome of the death of two animals, may I suggest you get a psychological evaluation as you are exhibiting symptoms of being a danger to society.
Are you saying that an animal that poses no risk or threat to another human or another animal has no value and should be killed over a piece of paper?
Which shows why you don’t rescue wild animals and let wildlife professionals do it.
It doesn’t take a “professional” to show compassion to an animal in need.
The squirrel and the racoon are not exotic animals and are in fact animals cross paths with every day.
The fact that Longo was able to save the animals and give them a good life shows that a “license” or “permit” is not always required.
If you want to regulate abuse of animals, that is one thing. But that is not what is happening here. There was no abuse, only effective treatment and love to which both animals responded and indeed, flourished.
The only abuse was when the government killed the animals.
The fact that we are at a point that you and people of your ilk want to regulate compassion, kindness and caring for animals is frankly frightening.
You mean like a registered wildlife rescue organization?
You mean *like the couple here*?
You realize they were, in fact, LICENSED, right?
F ing idiot, just as bad as those who conspired to kill those pets. Whoever was behind this should be fired and sued.
Oblivious to the issue. And – GFYS.
And her name was Karen.
Apparently the bootlicking thugs in New York aren’t just found at the DEC.
They’re also found at the NY State Health Department, Chemung County administration, and Elmira Animal Control.
None of them appear to be capable of any introspection or understanding the consequences of their actions. All they seem to be aware of is the display of state power.
I’m sure the involved thugs see no problem here, after all they were “just following orders”.
“Befehl ist befehl” if you’re a New York State enforcement agency.
Jill Biden agrees that government overreach is a serious problem, “My husband was pushed aside, basically treated no better than Peanut the squirrel.”
It’s beside that point that the squirrel would’ve made a better president than her husband. However going with Kamala was a step down from Biden and the squirrel—so there’s that.
“My husband was pushed aside, basically treated no better than Peanut the squirrel.”
Please tell me there wasn’t a euthanasia reported that I missed .
I named my new dog Fred
Epstein didn’t kill himself.
P’Nut was assassinated.
Biden voted for Trump.
The list grows.
The abuse of gov’t power in this instance is pretty simple; these public employees, armed agents of the State, decided to use power because they could. The solution is likewise very simple; drastically reduce the power of our public employees and vigorously remove those employees who can’t be trusted not to abuse the limited power they are entrusted with. We need a zero tolerance policy for abuses such as this. That means State Legislative action to remove qualified immunity. ‘I was following orders’ isn’t acceptable. When these agents face a real possibility of personal, financial and professional liability for misdeeds I suspect their actions will moderate as will the current unthinking application of bad regulation and bad organizational policy.
The death sentence was ordered by… a “Karen”…. yes her real name also. Too much power in the hands of small people.
This happened in ‘liberal’ New York State. Clearly what New York State is liberal about is the liberal use of state power to treat its citizens badly.
This incident touched me deeply. I know the grief from losing a treasured pet. Now many will think I’m over reacting, but I was never so angry. This action by state officials represents pure evil. Something beyond the mere over reach of government. I hope the Trump administration punishes NY somehow. Take away all their federal money.
The squirrel gave a lot of people pleasure . Remember Walt Disney had episodes about a squirrel….Perri.
Two reasons their animals were killed: To scare away anybody else who might consider taking an orphan wild animal into their home, and to prevent the possibility that a challenge in court would force the government to return them. Basically, the whole exercise was a highly visible flexing of bureaucratic muscles to show how little the government cares about the rights and lives of either animals or citizens.
Two peasants were witnessed enjoying their lives without prior approval. This could not stand.
The case of Peanut the squirrel and Fred the raccoon by the State of New York, are not dissimilar from what PETA does on a National scale, and they are notorious for this type of behavior.
There was a case not
Too long ago in which PETA sued this woman who owned a refuge for Chimpanzees (if I recall correctly)
PETA won and took possessions of the animals. The animals were either killed outright, or died in PETA’s custody, I forget which.
The organization is on record as against ownership of pets, and would rather see them dead than in the custody of human owners.
PETA is a disgusting organization.
Look up “petakillsanimals.com”
If you want to know more…
The only thing raccoons are good for is target practice. My neighbor thought they were cute until one got into his chicken coop.
Raccoons are also prone to rabies. I live out in the country, and have had to shoot several of them. Raccoons are nocturnal, but when they are running around in your garage and house yard in the middle of the day, they need to be put down, because they are probably rabid.
“I live out in the country, and have had to shoot several of them.”
How? You don’t even own a gun.
“Have had”. Past tense. This obviously happened before he lost all his guns in that tragic canoe accident.
I’m sure JR is more than capable of drowning himself in a canoe accident, but he’s a Democrat in good standing: he’s never owned any guns.
Yes, wild raccoons are at high risk for rabies. This wasn’t a wild raccoon, so like most of your “arguments” it has no real bearing on reality.
Actually that is a symptom of Canine Distemper. I actually had one stroll right past me as I was sitting at an outdoor table at a coffee shop one evening. Portland will have the coon population increase to about 100,000, and then distemper goes through it and they are back down to 10,000 the next year. Rinse and repeat every 10 years or so.
Yea, had a rabied raccoon in our hood. Sheriff shot it. It was mid day and out of control. Lots of kid in the hood. We all them trash pandas.
Rabies, for all the vaccinations out there, has nearly been eradicated in the US. The chance of you meeting a rabid raccoon is nil.
Raccoons raised from kits (babies) have made good pets. Wild adult and juvenile raccoons on the other hand are generally dangerous and can carry diseases.
Although it appears that there are a couple of morons hanging around who have never encountered actual raccoons, I’ve had to deal with literally dozens, if not a hundred of them. They are one of the very few creatures on the planet outside of humans that kill for the fun of it. My neighbor found that out when a raccoon killed literally ever chicken in his coop.
Wolves have a long history of killing sprees. Lions and bears kill cubs to assure only their genes move on.
Your good for even less, chump.
Oh gee, another idiot heard from.
Any carnivorous animal will break into chicken coops including dogs. Should we shoot all the dogs?
MOST creatures kill to eat. Raccoons are one of the very few outside of humans that kill otherwise. Female cats will catch and kill squirrels and lizards, when they’re teaching their kittens to hunt. It’s how feral cats survive. As to dogs, if they’re killing indiscriminately, it’s the fault of the owner. Dogs are very willing learners and can be taught not to do what you claim.
I think the action with P’Nut is great news for people who have squirrels living in their attics and garages. They don’t need to pay someone, anymore. All they have to do is call animal control and report that they have a squirrel housed without a permit and the state will come and take care of it, clean the animal out of the house and dispose of it. All gratis!!
I think the same could apply to ants … or any sort of infestation by animals and bugs not deemed “pets”. This is great!! Sad for the exterminator business, though. Government has taken their industry over.
You mean they can also get their house tossed like it’s a major drug bust, and be interrogated by agents of the state without a lawyer present?
Worst than government overreach this was an act of unprovoked evil by people who wished to do evil simply because they could and for no other reason whatsoever.
The issue is gov over reach. What surprise me is how many people get upset about a squirrel but lack the emotion to crushing the head or a baby before delimbing it, thus denying the baby even a compassionate dead.
Paraphrased from the internet : “All I want is a government small enough that it can’t put together a 12-man hit squad to go kill pet squirrels.”
So, did Hochul round up all the murderers, rapists and thieves and needed something to keep the men busy and sharp? The worst part of this is the absolutely INSANE waste of resources when NY has profound crime problems across the state.