P’Nut the squirrel’s caretaker fears animal was decapitated by DEC as he plans funeral and lawsuit

An Upstate New York man fears his pet squirrel was decapitated aft authorities agents seized nan rodent from his location – arsenic a ceremonial is group for nan internet-famous creature.

P’Nut’s grieving proprietor Mark Longo told The Post he’s readying a suit againt nan authorities Department of Environmental Conservation aft they raided his home, took nan squirrel distant and euthanized it to trial for rabies.

“I’m hoping to springiness him a due burial,” Longo told The Post of P’Nut’s past rites, which will beryllium held done a afloat functioning quality ceremonial location that offered its abstraction free of charge.

“But 7 days later nan assemblage hasn’t been returned. No results of rabies tests person been given.”

The DEC claimed it was forced to execute rabies tests connected P’Nut and Longo’s pet racoon named Fred — and those tests require a sample from nan subject’s brain.

It’s a imaginable Longo shudders to deliberation about, and 1 he’s fresh to writer over.

“This is overmuch bigger than a squirrel and a raccoon. This is astir authorities overreach,” he said. “We want justness for what transpired astatine my home. You violated my home. You assassinated my animals.”

P’Nut — a squirrel pinch a penchant for proportional cowboy hats — was raised by Longo and his woman successful their location for 7 years since they rescued him arsenic an orphaned pup.

After rehabilitating nan helpless animal for 8 months they released him — but he refused to leave, truthful they took him into their location afloat time, according to nan couple.

In those years nan squirrel amassed a pursuing connected societal media, and inspired nan Longos to relocate from Connecticut and unfastened a 350-acre animal sanctuary upstate successful Pine City.

But successful October that each came crashing down erstwhile nan DEC showed up successful consequence to an anonymous title astir nan Longos lodging P’Nut and Fred successful their home, and aft tearing nan location isolated near pinch nan animals. P’Nut supposedly spot 1 of nan agents connected nan manus during nan operation, prompting nan DEC to euthanize some animals.

And Longo hasn’t heard a connection from nan DEC since.

“I sewage upwind of my animals being murdered done a news station,” Longo said. “I, arsenic a New York State citizen, sewage my animals murdered by my ain government, and my ain authorities couldn’t telephone maine to show maine what happened. I had to publication it successful a newspaper.

“Somebody needs to beryllium held accountable for nan monolithic overreach successful power,” he added.

Longo has already retained an attorney, Nora Marino, and hopes anybody who has had a akin situation pinch nan DEC to get successful touch arsenic they hole their lawsuit.

“If it’s happened to you — if you cognize anyone it’s happened to — please scope out, we request to telephone for action,” Longo said.

“What is stopping mean Joe from calling and complaining astir your neighbour now? If you kick capable are you capable to get a hunt warrant? When does it end?”

Over nan adjacent fewer days, however, Longo is conscionable focused connected laying his furry friends to rest, pinch a work perchance taking spot astatine an Elmira ceremonial location arsenic soon arsenic Saturday.

“This should person ne'er happened to statesman with. But successful a way, I’m gladsome it did. Because it gave Peanut nan sound to shed ray connected what’s going connected successful our government,” he said.

The DEC declined to remark and cited ongoing litigation erstwhile reached by The Post.