So... an animal that is illegal to keep as a pet and BIT A PERSON was seized and euthanized due to it displaying symptoms of rabies? Why is that creating a frigging lynch mob mentality? The squirrel BIT someone. And it is NOT legal to keep them as pets in New York. I absolutely feel for the Longo family, as I understand loving a pet (even one that is a wild animal - I used to catch lizards in my backyard and keep them as pets when I was a kid) but he has no leg to stand on, in my opinion, when the animal was illegal to keep as a pet in the first place. Raccoons are also illegal to keep as pets in NY. It sucks that Longo's animals were seized and euthanized, but he wasn't allowed to even have them in the first place. And, again, the squirrel bit a human. Since it was displaying rabies symptoms, that person now has to have expensive and painful anti-rabies treatment. I love animals more than I love people, but an animal that bites/attacks humans is a risk to human life.

I do absolutely love animals but I find it hard to sympathize for the owner. He took in two animals who are illegal to own in his place, rather than bringing them to rescues. He then made money out of videos of said illegal pets. It's tragic the squirrel had to pass away.

You can save a squirrel. You can feed a squirrel. If you like, you can pet a squirrel. What you can't do is keep it as a pet. Let it stay outside. Build it a squirrel hut to live in, if you like. Film it if you like. But always keep a degree of deniability. "Nah. Not mine. It lives in that tree over there."

Accountable for what? Following the law? Confiscating an illegal pet with rabies symptoms, and euthanising it for testing after it bit someone? Yes, it completely sucks for the squirrel, and everyone who loves the squirrel but point your outrage somewhere productive. Instead of attacking DEC for following the rules, advocate for changes to legislation.

Need more information. Was the raccon vaccinated for rabies? Squirrels can't be vaccinated for it and they rarely get rabies or transmit it. Perhaps he never had the raccoon vaccinated, it caught rabies and started displaying symptoms, so they had to remove the squirrel as well for everyone's safety. It states there was a confirmed rabies diagnosis, so maybe he took the raccoon to the vet for its odd rabies behavior, vet confirmed and reported it to the authorities, guy took raccoon back home ignoring the problem, authorities acted on the report and came for both animals.

Only a DFA can confirm rabies in animals. And the animal has to be dead. I hope he demands a DFA.

AFTER BEING DIAGNOSED WITH RABIES???????

Rabies is a very serious disease and the animal bit a person. It's sad, but there was nothing else to do.

I'm so confused... Did PNUT have rabies or not? That seems to be the reason for him and the racoon being taken and euthanised, but the family is completely glossing over that fact as if it's not true? If he was a "beloved pet", why wasn't he vaccinated? This could have been prevented? Surely? I'm not a vet or anything of the sort, but rabies vaccines exist for lots of species, so surely one of them would have been suitable for a squirrel?

It is illegal to keep squirrels and raccoons as pets in NY. They could have applied for the proper permits to keep them at any time they were alive. But they didn’t. Should the government have killed the squirrel? That’s debatable. What isn’t debatable is that the raid was legal and justified. Are we going to allow people to get away with crimes just because they’re famous on the internet? Isn’t that a pretty slippery slope? Would people feel the same if they were illegally keeping a bear as a pet?

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B******T I dont think those animals had rabies. I think the evil dec just used that as an excuse to take and kill them. For the pathetic losers who have no life and complained, karma is coming for you. For the DEC, you are a piece of s**t. IF they had rabies, wouldnt they would have attacked the owners? come on people, get a brain!! The internet is the worst thing to ever happen to society. the earth would be better is people died off an animals took over. humans are evil!!!

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At least some bureaucrat got his ego stroked