New York Republicans are pushing for new laws to protect animals after the beloved pet squirrels and internet stars were taken and killed late last year by state environmental officials.
The bill, called the Peanuts Act: Humanitarian Animal Protection Act, requires a 72-hour waiting period before the Environmental Protection Agency (DEC) can euthanize seized animals. It also gives animal owners a chance to hear before the nation takes or defeats the animal.
Another pet squirrel, named P'Nut and Fred, was taken from Mark and Daniela Longo's upstate farm last October after someone filed an anonymous complaint. Both animals were killed and tested for rabies, and both tests returned to negative.
Squirrel has gained a great deal of support on social media, and P'Nut has gained nearly 1 million followers to see what the creature and his family has to offer.
The beloved peanut owner plans to suicide New York state over seizures and murders by authorities
Squirrel Peanuts or P'nut, who had over 500,000 followers on Instagram, was euthanized last week by a New York state official. (peanut_the_squirrel12 via Instagram)
When news spreads to P'Nut's Instagram page, it rebels against the fact that DEC's actions spread online like Wildfire. At the time, everyone from Elon Musk to President Trump was heavily over the murder of his dear family's pets.
Musk called the November killing “a whole squirrel thing” in Joe Rogan's podcast.
Congressman Jake Blumenkrantz (R-Nassau), who sponsors the bill, said it was about fairness. “This is about a legitimate process,” he said, adding that the animal should not be killed unless it is an immediate danger.
Peanuts Peanuts taken from a home adopted by New York state officials may be euthanized
Longos, who runs an animal sanctuary, says he didn't say why the pets were taken. They hope that the new bill will prevent similar cases from happening again.
Mark Longo said of the new bill:
Peanuts or “p'nut” was the only baby when Longos saved him. Squirrel adapted to his adoptive human family after his real mother ran to the car when she was only five weeks old.
Peanuts was rescued at five weeks of age by adopted human parents after his mother ran to the car. (peanut_the_squirrel12 via Instagram)
“They were not dangerous. They were not sick. They were not a threat to the wild roaming the streets,” Councilman Blumenkrantz said. “They were rescues – loved, raised, safe.”
Legislative supporters say it's a common sense move to protect both the animal and its owner.
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“There's a cold and difficult truth here. It's too little, too late. Words will not save P'Nut and Fred. And unless the law changes, words will not save the next animal or the next family.”
The attorney representing the Longo family did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Fox News Digital.
