The owners of Peanut, the squirrel whose “unlawful and unjustified killing” by New York authorities caused a stir on the Internet, along with fellow raccoon Fred, are planning to sue the state, accusing authorities of overreach and abuse.
Mark Longo and Daniela Bittner removed the animals from the couple's northern home and animal sanctuary in rural Pine City, near the Pennsylvania state line, during a raid by the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) in October. filed a notice of claim with the state after the animals were removed. 30.
The complaint accuses authorities of violating the couple's rights by removing the animals, violating their privacy and trespassing.
The filing says Fred, also known as Peanut, was killed to undergo a rabies test, which was “unwarranted” and “unwarranted.” Officials said they knew the animals were not infected with rabies.
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Squirrel Peanut or Peanut has 532,000 followers on Instagram. The owners say they plan to sue New York state over the animal's seizures and euthanasia. (@peanut_the_squirrel12/Instagram)
Pet squirrel Peanut was taken away from his adopted home by New York state officials and may be euthanized
The state said the need for testing increased after the investigator was bitten during the attack. new york post Reported.
In their notice, the couple called it an “excuse” and claimed it was a “fabrication of evidence,” according to court documents. Even if there was a risk of rabies, “which is nearly impossible and is debated,” DEC employees should have known how to handle wild animals and other animals without getting bitten, the document says. states.
“It appears there were multiple constitutional violations here. At the very least, there are many questions about why the government chose to act the way it did,” the couple's attorney, Nora Constance Marino, told Fox News. told Digital. statement. “Entering and searching someone's home is a very serious violation of that person's right to privacy. That's why the Fourth Amendment was created to protect us from unreasonable searches and seizures. ”
“Likewise, there are many questions as to why Peanut and Fred were killed. There was no reason to believe either animal had rabies and the killing of the animals was outside the scope of the warrant.” she added. “My client has suffered and continues to suffer tremendously as a result of what I consider to be terrible actions by the government. That's what makes our Constitution so valuable, and that's what the Constitution requires.'' Honor. ”
Peanut was five weeks old when his human adoptive parents rescued him after his mother was hit by a car. (@peanut_the_squirrel12/Instagram)
DEC said it does not comment on pending litigation.
The application further asserts that “the notion that DEC's representatives and/or other respondents' representatives were 'bitten' by peanuts may be false or fabricated.” .
“Furthermore, it was further submitted that even if the agent was actually bitten, killing Peanut would still be unnecessary, unreasonable, inappropriate, and illegal, and that Fred the Raccoon bit someone.” “There is no allegation that the killing has not yet occurred, and therefore Fred's further submission that the killing has not yet occurred was unnecessary, unwarranted, inappropriate and unlawful,” the filing states.
Peanuts became an internet sensation before his death. His dedicated Instagram page has more than 915,000 followers.
Last year, the Longos founded an animal sanctuary called Peanut Freedom Farm, inspired by squirrels. Longo told his followers that he adopted the rodent after witnessing the squirrel's mother being hit by a car. The squirrel refused to return to the wild and became attached to the couple.
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Peanut, or Peanut, the squirrel who had more than 500,000 followers on Instagram, was euthanized by New York state authorities last week. (@peanut_the_squirrel12/Instagram)
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In a previous interview with TMZ, Longo said Peanut's death tore his family apart.
“Peanuts was the foundation of our non-profit animal rescue,” he said. “Then 10 to 12 December police officers raided my house like I was a drug dealer. I sat outside my house for five hours. I had to be escorted by police to the bathroom. It didn’t happen.”
Fox News Digital's Michael Dorgan contributed to this report.
