Were New York Authorities’ Actions Justified in the Seizure of Peanut the Squirrel?

New York authorities euthanized a social media star squirrel named Peanut over the weekend, prompting media dialogue on the role of the state in such proceedings.

For Context: Peanut was the pet of Mark Longo, an upstate New York resident who rescued the squirrel after his mother was run over in New York City seven years ago. Ten agents conducted a five-hour raid on Longo’s house, where he said he was treated like a “terrorist.”

Bureaucratic Overreach: Oliver Bateman of UnHerd (Center bias) criticized the “modern American bureaucratic state” and state of New York for directing resources towards the raid while New York is plagued with other crime problems. The Wall Street Journal Editorial Board (Lean Right bias) published an opinion similar to Bateman’s for UnHerd. The Journal’s editors wrote, “The Manhattan district attorney won’t prosecute many nonviolent crimes. But house a pet squirrel, and the state’s bureaucrats will come down on you like you’re a menace to society.”

Illegal Pets: USA Today (Lean Left bias) published a report that noted it’s illegal to house pet squirrels in New York. It also included comments from Rachel Tindal, who runs a Rochester-area squirrel rescue, who said it’s common for humans to rescue injured squirrels and keep them as pets “on the down low” because licensed rehabilitators don’t usually receive state funding. She also said, “Pet squirrels are never a good idea,” noting that “they’re very difficult to care for in captivity.”