11/23/2024
๐๐ก๐ ๐๐ฆ๐ฉ๐จ๐ซ๐ญ๐๐ง๐๐ ๐จ๐ "๐๐๐๐ง๐ฎ๐ญ" ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐ช๐ฎ๐ข๐ซ๐ซ๐๐ฅ ๐ญ๐จ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐จ๐ซ๐ฌ๐ ๐๐ง๐๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ญ๐ซ๐ฒ
As citizens anxiously awaited the election and to see the direction it would ultimately take our nation, an unlikely hero emerged: a beloved pet squirrel named Peanut, who was unrightfully seized from his owners and euthanized at the behest of animal extremists, who cited a law that states it is illegal to own wildlife without a license.
Peanut had been the beloved pet of Mark Longo of Pine City, New York, for seven years after the squirrelโs mother was hit by a car and Longo rescued him. Longo was reportedly in the process of filing the paperwork to establish legal ownership. State agencies received several anonymous complaints that led to Peanutโs confiscation and death.
It has been reported that in an astonishing display of government overreach, at least six state Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) agents raided the Longo household for five hours and left it in complete disarray. Their excuse was that Peanut needed to be tested for rabies, which requires euthanasia. A pet raccoon named Fred was also taken and euthanized, but Peanut took the spotlight because of the popular Instagram account dedicated to him.
The story of Peanut powerfully demonstrates the very real danger that the animal extremist movement poses to everyone who owns and enjoys animals of any kind. All it took for Longoโs cherished, healthy, and happy pets to be confiscated and killed were the petty actions of a few inexplicably angry and vengeful animal extremist activists.
The story of Peanut offers a perfect example of exactly how misguided and dangerous the USEFโs revised rule GR838 will be for the horse industry. The changed rule applies to abuse, neglect, or otherwise unethical treatment of horses. As of December 1, 2024, GR838 will apply anywhere USEF members raise, board, practice, train, or otherwise use horses, including home facilities.
The rule allows anonymous reporting, opening the doors wide for malicious attacks to be made on horse owners in the same way that Peanutโs owner was targeted. The USEF does not have the authority to make site visits to private property and instead relies entirely on reporting of alleged incidents of abuse or neglect.
Like most of the horse industry, Western Justice does not condone abuse in any form. What must be kept in mind is that animal extremists consider even the use of bits to be โabusive,โ and they view any use of animals as being akin to slavery.
Even though Peanut was a squirrel, his case is a perfect example of what Western Justice is fighting and what our team has been fighting through various channels for over 15 years. Peanut could have just as easily been a cat, dog, or horse, and he could have been YOURS.
