My colleague Bob Hoge wrote earlier about a case of government overreach that just seems astonishing, the story of Peanut the Squirrel.
Mark Longo had a pet squirrel he had saved after the squirrel’s mother was killed by a car seven years ago. Peanut, also affectionally known as “P’Nut,” became an Instagram star with its interactions with Longo.
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Then the NY Department of Environmental Conservation reportedly came into Longo’s home and removed Peanut and Fred the Raccoon, another pet. They claimed that Peanut bit one of the investigators, so they euthanized both pets to test for rabies, they claimed.
If a pet has been in someone’s home for seven years and is an indoor pet, the chance of rabies seems pretty darn near impossible. And if what Longo is saying is true, the heavy hand here was ridiculous for pets that weren’t causing any problems.
The post continued:
“Peanut” was the mascot for his animal non-profit and had a social media following of over a million people. When the government shows you and tells you who they are—believe them.
READ MORE: Government Overreach Run Amok: NY State Kills Peanut the Squirrel
There are many issues in New York, from crime to illegal aliens, and law enforcement has to spend these kind of resources to go after a pet squirrel and raccoon? It’s bizarre:
In a joint statement, the DEC and the Chemung County Department of Health say they are “coordinating to ensure the protection of public health related to the illegal possession of wild animals that have the potential to carry the rabies virus.”
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They also said it was “illegal” to keep young wildlife.
The Internet immediately erupted because if there’s one thing that brings people together, it’s pets; if there’s another it would be government overreach. So you had a perfect storm of both, when it came to what happened to Peanut and Fred.
Many weighed in on Peanut’s behalf and the greater question of overreach.
This was retweeted by the Trump War Room account.
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Now, there was a statement that some claimed was from Trump. It was a pretty good spoof.
But the campaign said it was a fake.
Still, it was one more thing to add onto a bad week for Democrats.