Posted on 11/09/2024 3:09:21 PM PST by dynachrome
State investigators are probing the circumstances surrounding the death of the beloved Instagram famous P'Nut the squirrel.
The DEC is conducting an internal investigation into the controversial raid on Mark Longo's home, where both P'Nut and Fred the raccoon were seized and euthanized.
Despite Longo's claims that officers wore protective gloves, the animals were killed and decapitated for rabies testing after P'Nut allegedly bit an agent's hand.
'An internal investigation into the matter is ongoing, and we are reviewing internal policies and procedures to ensure we continue serving this core mission,' a DEC spokesperson told The New York Post on Friday.
State and local health departments, including the DEC, the state Health Department, and the Chemung County Health Department, have been tight-lipped about the rabies test results and the condition of the injured agent.
(Excerpt) Read more at dailymail.co.uk ...
“One could as easily say that requiring a driver’s license is ‘horrible over-regulation’.)”
Only if you are a minority and are voting.
The only way to be sure the agent doesn’t have rabies is to decapitate the agent and examin the brain. Fair is fair.
Squirrel footage from the game at this link..
We weren’t discussing ‘so many things’. We were discussing a specific case of wild animals kept without a license.
Maybe you should find out ‘for certain’.
If you are going to keep an animal, you have a responsibility to it. They were apparently working on setting up a ‘rescue’ operation. It seems to me that responsible people would have bothered to learn something about the laws regarding that.
(And I doubt even NJ allows the keeping of a raccoon without a license.)
Good robot.
I could as easily call you an anarchist for condoning disregard for laws and regulations.
I’ve got a question.
If all protocols were followed, this was by-the-book, open and shut, why are all government parties involved requiring anyone who wants any info to file FOIL requests, which can be both time consuming and expensive...?
BTW, I’ve lived in Upstate NYS all my life.
Don’t recall ever seeing a critter issue dealt with using a goon squad before.
I think the people had to have been served a warrant. They should publish it. I’m not aware of any prohibitions on that, and it might answer a lot of questions. Also, if the couple feel that there were improprieties, they can sue - it appears that their pornography operation brings in enough to afford a lawyer. So far, all we know about it comes from Longo himself. Let it all come out in court, if he feels the authorities acted improperly.
What do you want to know about it, anyway? If people are trying to find out who reported the possession of the animals in the first place, I don’t think that can be divulged. People who report things to the police are usually allowed anonymity.
I don’t necessarily want to know who made the accusations if authorities acted in good faith.
But at the moment there is zero reason to think that the authorities acted in good faith and followed procedure.
Like I said, I’ve lived in Upstate NY all my life.
Where I live it’s not unusual to see cases involving people and critters. Cases that involve the health department, DEC, local LE.
This IS the first time I have ever seen a goon squad used for an alleged rabies investigation, a spouse interrogated about her immigration status, anyone inquiring made to FOIL to get any info.
Something smells.
I haven’t been able to find NYS’s criteria quickly (there’s a shocker), so instead I’ll give you WI as an example...
https://www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/rabies/algorithm/smallrodentsall.htm
The really interesting bit...
“...Small rodents (e.g., squirrels, hamsters, guinea pigs, gerbils, chipmunks, rats, and mice) and lagomorphs (rabbits and hares), whether wild or kept as pets, are rarely found to be infected with rabies and have not been known to transmit rabies to humans.
In all cases involving rodents, the state or local health department should be consulted before a decision is made to initiate antirabies post-exposure prophylaxis.”
Really wondering how NY got that warrant...
It’s against the state regulations to keep these animals. This guy is a scofflaw; and the story of his interaction with authorities and disregard of the rules over this issue did not begin with this incident.
From a Newsday article:
“The PBA said the investigation into Longo’s animal sanctuary began in January after state-licensed wildlife rehabilitators filed complaints alleging Longo was operating an illegal wildlife sanctuary. When Longo was contacted, he said Peanut had been released into the wild, but more complaints and Longo’s social media showed this was not the case, the PBA said.
“Longo did not immediately respond to a call or email Friday.
Three uniformed DEC officers, several plainclothes investigators and three other DEC employees conducted the raid, during which a wildlife biologist was bitten through two pairs of gloves, the PBA said.”
https://www.newsday.com/long-island/environment/peanut-squirrel-wildlife-lugsqeqm
Feel free.
Although civil disobedient will work also.
And not like there haven’t been and aren’t stupid laws and regulations . which often require much time and lawyers(money) to prove unconstitutional or otherwise defective.
Gross overuse of force by little bureaucrat tyrants is much to common.And too many “officers” playing Army carrying out violent attacks for minor infractions.
The only law this guy had to follow was to get a license as a volunteer wildlife rehabilitater. It costs nothing in NY, and he had 7 years to do it.
A college professor opined that “the main purpose of licensing is to limit competition”.
So the licensed wildlife people were jealous of the public attention (fans) of P’nut. Now I understand why the raid. Send a message similar in principle ,albeit less bloody,to Waco.
Obtaining this sort of license involves training and proving that you know what you’re doing.
If someone is going to keep wild animals, especially injured, ill or potentially rabid ones, I want them licensed just the same as I want my dentist, veterinarian, and many other professionals to be licensed.
I’m pretty sure that if someone were drilling or pulling teeth or acting as a vet without a license, other professionals would file complaints and it wouldn’t have anything to do with ‘jealousy’.
So what if 7 years? Who was harmed by the lack of a license?Why the SWAT used?
Principle of gov’t SHOULD be least force necessary.
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