P'Nut the Squirrel's Owner Sues New York State for $10 Million Over Raid and Massacre Incident

BlockBeats News, August 12th - After receiving an anonymous complaint, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation carried out a five-hour raid on Mark Luongo's residence, confiscating the internet-famous squirrel Peanut (nickname "P'Nut") and its partner, a raccoon named Fred. The state government later euthanized the two animals under the pretext of "rabies testing."

DEC officials claimed that during the raid, "P'Nut" bit through a law enforcement officer's thick leather glove, necessitating the euthanasia of both the squirrel and raccoon for rabies testing. However, the state government later admitted that the test results for the two animals were negative, did not issue an apology, and did not return the pets' bodies. According to court documents, the deaths of "P'Nut" and Fred were "not due to concerns about rabies" but rather "an utterly senseless act of violence" and a "chilling display of government overreach."

The lawsuit was filed on top of Longo and Bittner's lawsuit against the City of Elmira and 36 officials at the state and city levels in Chemung County Supreme Court on June 27th this year. The couple seeks unspecified damages to be determined through a jury trial. They claim to have suffered emotional trauma and financial losses since the loss of the celebrity squirrel. According to the complaint, "P'Nut" had a strong presence on social media (including OnlyFans).