Who Killed Peanut the Squirrel & Fred the Raccoon?

Mark and Dani Longo clearly, have a deep love for animals, their kindness and generosity shine through. Unfortunately, they were caring for two wild animals without the necessary qualifications as licensed wildlife rehabilitators. Their social media posts attracted a lot of attention, and it seems that someone, or perhaps a few unhappy followers, reported them to the NY Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC). From there, things quickly escalated. Sadly, both animals were ultimately euthanized, and it appears that New York State has not been transparent about the situation, leaving many questions unanswered.

NBC affiliate WETM reported that the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) is conducting an internal investigation into the seizure of P-Nut the squirrel and Fred the raccoon from Mark and Dani Longo's sanctuary. The DEC stated that they are reviewing their policies to uphold wildlife safety. According to WETM, the DEC and Chemung County Health Department claimed P-Nut was euthanized after biting an agent. WETM also noted they couldn't verify any cases of rabies in squirrels in New York State despite requesting test results for both animals.

In this episode, we’re diving into the bittersweet story of Peanut and Fred—the animals who captured hearts online but became entangled in a complex web created by human choices. Despite the Longo’s love for these animals, perhaps the best interests of Peanut and Fred were overlooked maybe even ignored as social media fame, animal care, and legal boundaries clashed in heartbreaking ways.

Our expert guests are:

-Laura Simon, a wildlife ecologist and the President of the Connecticut Wildlife Rehabilitators Association. She ran a wildlife hotline for 18 years to assist the public and community leaders on ways to resolve a variety of wildlife issues and trained animal control officers, police, and rehabilitators around the country on phone advising methods. She has served on the Connecticut Rabies Advisory Committee and worked with state agencies to create a rabies vector species rehabilitation program and manual that served as a model for other states. Laura is also a board member of Reunite Wildlife, Inc. and has given presentations at state and national conferences on various aspects of resolving wildlife issues and preventing orphaning. She graduated from the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies with a focus on wildlife policy. -Elizabeth Menegon, Founder and owner of the Hands to Paws mobile app and a dedicated advocate for public education and animal welfare.

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