07/29/2026
Stupid can’t be fixed. Animal cruelty is his charge - put him away.
This topic rears its ugly head occasionally and it always gets under my skin. Unpopular opinion: Mark Longo is the primary person at fault for the tragic deaths of Pnut the Squirrel and Fred the Raccoon.
This morning I've been told several times that I shouldn't be allowed to rescue animals because of this opinion. So let's chat about why I hold this opinion. ⚠️ And before I get into it, to be clear, I don't support these animals being killed. Understanding why they were killed, and having an opinion on who is to blame, does NOT mean I support the tragedy that occured.
• Mark Longo did not have the required licensing for Pnut and was in illegal possession of him in the state of NY. He was aware of the required licensing and knew he was breaking the law.
• Longo was given a LOT of time and opportunities by the authorities to get the appropriate licensing for NY, or get Pnut to someone who had licensing. He was given far more opportunities to get straight with the law than most people in illegal possession of wildlife are given. Don't even get me started- there are so many awful stories of people in illegal possession who wake up to law enforcement at the door without ANY warning or opportunities, and have to watch their beloved "pet" being shot in front of them in the yard.
• Longo chose to ignore all the warnings and opportunities he was given. Instead, he illegally obtained a SECOND wild animal he was not allowed to have: Fred the Raccoon. Raccoons are an RVS species and are treated very harshly by the law in most states. It's unfair IMO, but it is reality, because rabies is 100% deadly and can be dormant for 6+ months.
• Rather than protect Fred the Raccoon by keeping him home, safe, and responsibly cared for, Longo instead dragged this poor little illegally possessed RVS wild animal around in public, and filmed their outings, and posted it for content and $$$.
• Because Longo opted to ignore the warnings and the extremely generous amount of time he was given to get straight with the law, and instead opted to continue illegally collecting wild animals and posting them publicly online, he was raided. It should not come as a surprise that the patience of DNR finally wore out when Longo started posting content of him hauling a wild illegally possessed raccoon around in public, in addition to the illegal squirrel he had already been warned he needed licensing for. Its honestly very surprising that law enforcement was so lenient with him for so long- this is NOT the norm.
• Fred was killed because he was an RVS and had contact with people. No, I don't think it is fair that RVS are met with automatic euthanasia for rabies testing. Pnut was killed because he was allowed to play with Fred, a wild RVS, and he bit someone. He would not likely have been killed if he hadn't had contact with Fred, bite or not.
• BOTH WERE KILLED BECAUSE OF LONGO'S IRRESPONSIBLE, UNETHICAL, AND ILLEGAL ACTIONS. Period, full stop, end of story. He is the primary person responsible for killing them.
I do have compassion for people who are unknowingly in illegal possession of a wild animal that has become a pet. My heart breaks for both owner and animal when the inevitable end result happens, and law enforcement shows up and takes the animal. I feel for both the animal, and the person if they genuinely didn't understand that what they were doing was illegal & were providing appropriate care.
The only thing I feel towards Mark Longo is a desire to see him behind bars.
He KNEW he was breaking the law, and he knew for a very long time he was breaking the law, he knew he was risking the lives of Pnut and Fred, and he was given so many precious opportunities to turn it around.
He chose to continue breaking the law, continue illegally collecting wild animals, continue risking their lives and safety. He continued risking their safety and future by exploiting them for money and content openly despite breaking the law and knowing that DNR was watching him, and the poor sweet animals paid the ultimate price for his greed and irresponsibility.
To those saying I shouldn't be in rescue because I blame Longo for the deaths of these two precious lives:
Part of my rescue work, working with legally regulated species, is knowing and following the law.
When I first got into rescue, I was encouraged to do it ILLEGALLY, outside of the law. But I know that working with regulated animals illegally puts their lives in danger. I care too much about the animals I rescue to risk their lives like that.
So I went through the proper channels and obtained my state licensing. It was a great experience to do so, if I'm being honest. My local G&F folks are fantastic.
Guess what the result has been? I have open communication with Game & Fish and local authorities. I am able to obtain proper vet care. My animals have never been violently ripped from their enclosures and killed.
I care enough about the animals in our care that I would NEVER endanger their lives or safety over simple paperwork. And I won't risk the lives of our resident animals by taking illegal possession of something - I will ALWAYS refer to the nearest appropriately licensed facility.
And if the laws regarding possession ever change and I lose licensing as a result? You better believe I would be on the phone with every connection I have trying to make sure the animals got out to a safe sanctuary immediately- I'd drive across country with less than a days notice if I had to. Because their lives are far more precious to me than any selfish desire to try to keep them in my care illegally.
🎤⬇️
