Following the notable wildlife seizure by the state last October in Chemung County of Peanut the Squirrel whose controversial death alongside his raccoon friend Fred sparked outrage, led to an internal investigation by the DEC’s of its wildlife enforcement procedures.
According to Acting DEC Commissioner Amanda Lefton, at the direction of the Governor, she prioritized a review of our current wildlife protection and enforcement process to protect New Yorkers and this agency from similar incidents in the future. Lefton said the agency have carefully reviewed all the public feedback and understands the “distress caused to communities throughout the state.” She added the DEC knows it can do better moving forward.
“Our agency is committed to developing additional protocols to address illegally possessed wildlife and ensuring that our staff and environmental conservation officers have the necessary resources to carry them out,” said Lefton. “In addition, DEC will be welcoming a new Deputy Commissioner for Public Protection & Emergency Response.”
“We recognize that these improvements are necessary and in my new role I will ensure that DEC is focused on its mission to deliver clean air and water for every New Yorker while protecting the environment and our invaluable natural resources for future generations.”
The owners of Peanut the Squirrel have sued the state of New York and Chemung County. Mark Longo filed a notice of claim against state authorities after the animals were seized during a raid on his Pine City home and animal sanctuary by the DEC on October 30. Longo accuses officials of government overreach, privacy invasion, and trespassing.
The claim states that Peanut and Fred were killed for rabies testing, an action the owners deem “unfounded” and “unjustified.”
Testing results for rabies came back negative for both animals.
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