P’Nut the Squirrel and Fred the Raccoon did not have rabies, officials announced — as it was revealed the animals were marked for death and decapitation days before they were seized by the state.
The internet famous P’Nut and his raccoon pal were taken from an Upstate New York home by force in a raid by state agents on Oct. 30 that sparked outrage and accusations of government overreach as the pets were euthanized to test for rabies.
“Results are negative,” Chemung County Executive Christopher Moss told The Post Tuesday.
A newly revealed timeline shows state officials advised the county to euthanize the pets a full seven days before they were taken from their unofficial caretaker Mark Longo on Oct. 30 — even though the Department of Environmental Conservation later said the squirrel bit an agent during the raid, sparking the need for the test.
“Wildlife cannot be confined like domestic animals, and if there was an exposure, the animals would need to be tested for rabies,” the State Department of Health wrote the county on Oct. 23 — a message that all but sealed the animals’ fates, as rabies tests require decapitation so subjects’ heads can be opened and their brains sampled.
Days later on Oct. 29 the DEC had laid their plans to raid Longo’s home, but the DEC was also already coordinating the animals’ euthanizations with Elmira Animal Control, the county’s timeline shows — directly contradicting their previous explanation that P’Nut had prompted his own euthanization.
“I’m in utter shock,” Longo told The Post when shown the timeline. “I’d like to give you a proper statement, but for now I’ll just say ‘Wow.’”
Longo – who says he still hasn’t received any word from officials about the animals — previously insisted that the animals were rabies-free.
The DEC set the operation in motion when it reached out to Chemung about four complaints that Longo was keeping the animals without a license in his home, according to the county.
“DEC is aware of an individual in Chemung County who is known to illegally possess an adult gray squirrel and at least 4 young raccoons. They may also be in possession of other illegal wildlife species,” the DEC said in a message to the county on Oct. 22. “We would like to know if the Health Department would recommend these animals be tested for rabies as a precaution for human safety.”
That message prompted the county to reach out to the state health department, which then handed down the fatal rabies test recommendation.
Eight days later the DEC raided Longo’s home and took the animals, and they were put down the same day.
“Animal decap requested on: 10/30/24,” read a rabies report for P’Nut and Fred, also released by Chemung County.
Before noon the next day, the animals’ bodies were “in refrigerator” at the rabies testing site. The fate of the bodies has not been revealed.
P’Nut’s rabies report form did indicate that he “bit wildlife operator” on the thumb — but the timeline indicates that the animals’ deaths were planned before the bite.
“Animal decap requested on: 10/30/24,” read a rabies reports for P’Nut and Fred, also released by the Chemung County.
Before noon the next day, the animals bodies were “in refrigerator” at the rabies testing site. The fate of the bodies been revealed.
P’Nut’s rabies report form did indicate that he “bit wildlife operator” on the thumb — and Chemung County confirmed the DEC did request a rabies test over P’Nut’s resistance — but the timeline indicates that the animals’ deaths were planned before the bite.
The DEC did not respond to request for comment.
Longo’s Pine City home is a large rural property tha operates as an animal rescue. Fred had recently been dropped on his doorstep in need of care, while P’Nut had been living with Longo and his wife as a pet for at least seven years before they were taken away.
P’Nut commanded a massive following on social media before his death. News of his fate outraged the public, with many decrying government overreach and overreaction for the seizure where Longo said he was treated like a “terrorist.”
Chemung County said the investigation into the situation remains ongoing.
“I would ask the public to allow the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation the amount of time necessary to complete their investigation so that many of the public’s questions can be answered,” Chemung County Executive Christopher Moss said in a statement.
