Inside This Issue:
- P'Nut and Fred Didn't Have Rabies, Raising Further Questions About DEC Raid
- Treating PTSD with... Sharks?
- One Size Fits None in Utah Animal Ordinance
- Dog Bites Rescuer, Shelter Owner Charged, and Birds Catch Stress
P'Nut and Fred Didn't Have Rabies, Raising Further Questions About DEC Raid
Eastern Gray Squirrel.
A few weeks ago – not that long ago, but an eternity in news cycles – the story of P’Nut the squirrel and Fred the raccoon took the world by storm. Kept as pets in New York, the two animals were raised indoors with a menagerie of other critters. Now, before we go any further, it is important to note that it is illegal to keep squirrels and raccoons as pets in New York (as it is in most states), and they can’t be kept, period, without the proper permits. Now back to the tale of P’Nut.
Back in 2017, the lives of Mark and Daniella Longo were rearranged by a baby squirrel they rescued and named Peanut (we’re going to stick with P’Nut for consistency). Due to concerns over P’Nut’s ability to survive in the wild, the Longos decided to keep him and raise him indoors. Motivated by his rescue, they began to bring in more animals that needed varying degrees of assistance: a pot-bellied pig here, some horses there, and even a raccoon they named Fred.
The Longos then established P’Nuts Freedom Farm Animal Sanctuary and ran that in addition to their day jobs with the help of volunteers. To bring awareness to their operation and resident animals, Mark set up an Instagram account for P’Nut that highlighted his squirrely antics. It didn’t take long for their close relationship to gain viral status and widespread internet (and mainstream media) notoriety.
What happened next was an unexpected crushing blow to the Longos and all of their supporters and followers. On October 30th, following an investigation that had been going on since January (yes, January!), the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) showed up at the Longo's residence, seized P’Nut and Fred the Raccoon, and subjected the Longos to a five hour-long inspection/raid. The department said an official had been bitten by P’Nut during the apprehension, forcing them to euthanize and perform rabies tests on both animals. Now, it has been revealed that the animals were rabies-free, and further, it appears that the decision to test the animals for rabies (which requires euthanasia) had been made prior to the raid – before there were any claims about anyone being bitten.
To reiterate an above point, squirrels and raccoons are illegal to keep as pets in New York, and there are reasonable, legitimate questions to be had about the Longos’ nonprofit operation. But that’s not the topic here – what we’re talking about is the investigation and actions carried out by the DEC.
While the raid on the Longos and euthanasia of two of their animals was quickly taken up as a rallying cry by right-wing media and politicians as an example of horrendous government overreach, we should not allow this to become a partisan issue. The DEC’s actions should raise serious and alarming questions among all Americans about how much power state agencies should have in making raids like this. Because as “shocking and outrageous” as the tale of P’Nut and Fred may seem, events like this aren’t isolated, or even that rare.
Source: Did P’Nut Die for Nothing? Test Shows Squirrel Did Not Have Rabies.
Treating PTSD with... Sharks?
Wanna go for a swim?
Over the last few decades, as our soldiers have come home from conflicts abroad with the invisible scars of PTSD, many people have sought ways to help them reintegrate and succeed in society. Therapy animals have been a godsend for many suffering from painful memories. Now, a group called Veterans Exploration Therapy (VET) provides safe challenges to veterans suffering from PTSD in the form of outdoor exploration and recreation that includes animal encounters.
One unique way they have tried involves a partnership with the Denver Aquarium and A1 Scuba & Travel. On Veterans Day, a group of veterans participated in an unconventional therapy session: shark cage diving at the Denver Aquarium. Yes, sharks – arguably one of the more traumatizing animals on the planet! The veterans suited up for a controlled dive in the aquarium's massive 280,000-gallon tank. Sharks, turtles, and other sea creatures swam inches from their faces as they experienced the thrill of the underwater world.
For veterans like Andrew Follender, the experience was about more than just an adrenaline rush. Follender served eight years, including a tour in Afghanistan after 9/11. After returning home, he struggled with depression and homelessness. He discovered VET two years ago and has since participated in three of their excursions. While he still lives with PTSD, he has found that challenging himself through adventure therapy helps him cope. Deke Letson, VET's founder, believes that pushing veterans out of their comfort zones is key to their mission. Letson, a veteran himself, struggled with self-destructive behavior after returning from two deployments to Iraq. He eventually found his passion in wilderness guiding and used his GI Bill to take a business course and start VET. The organization officially launched in July 2022 and has since been taking veterans on adventures to help them confront their fears in a safe and controlled way. For Letson, seeing the transformation in the veterans he works with is the greatest reward.
After the shark dive, participants like Follender emerged smiling, already making plans for their next adventure. The sense of community and camaraderie built through these shared experiences is just as important as the adventures themselves. VET offers a space for veterans to connect with others who understand their struggles, making it easier to try new things and build lasting relationships. The healing benefits of safe and humane animal encounters with people in need should be a part of ongoing rehabilitation programs.
Source: Facing fears and finding strength: Veterans dive with sharks on Veterans Day
One Size Fits None in Utah Animal Ordinance
How many Nigerian dwarf goats do you see here? Wrong answers only.
Concern and opposition to a proposed animal ordinance in Newton, Utah raises an issue we are all too familiar with at NAIA: when it comes to animals and animal owners, one size never fits all. In this case, the ordinance creates a point system that labels various types of animals with a set number of points, then allows residents to keep a certain “point total” of animals on their property.
Given the unpredictable nature of individual animals and residential properties, an equitable, uniform point system is going to be inherently tough to pull off. For example, Hypothetical Mary’s half-acre property may may be suitable for twice as many animals as Hypothetical Bob’s three-quarter-acre property. But it goes further than that: the proposed ordinance gives the same number of “points” to animals of vastly different size. This means a 40-pound Nigerian dwarf goat would be equal to a 200-pound miniature horse. Now that’s just silly.
Even people who are fully opposed to the ordinance in its current form stress that oversight and enforceable regulations are important for animal welfare and maintaining a nice community. As is so often the case with ordinances like this, it’s not like the opposition is just a bunch of animal hoarders who hate following rules – the issue is that people want rules that are fair and that actually make sense!
Good news update: after a hearing on Wednesday, the ordinance has been tabled.
Source: Newton residential farmers ask for revisions to proposed animal regulations
Dog Bites Rescuer, Shelter Owner Charged, and Birds Catch Stress
Come on, Bob, you're stressing me out.
Talk about ungrateful! In a literal news bite, a New York firefighter was bit in the face by one of the dogs he rescued from a fire on Wednesday. Fortunately, this didn’t hamper the rescue effort: all the residents and animals in the house fire were successfully saved, and the firefighter’s injuries were listed as “minor.”
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In Michigan this week, a “rescue” owner, Karmen Schooly, was charged with a felony and misdemeanor following a cruelty investigation and the removal of 29 dogs and 7 cats from her property. The conditions the animals were being kept in were deemed neglectful and abusive. Punctuating this, one of the cats had to be euthanized after being removed from the home. Schooly was also charged with running an unregistered shelter operation.
The Oakland County Prosecutor provided a succinct, yet brutally accurate statement on the situation: “Housing dozens of animals that you can't take care of is not a 'rescue,' and neglecting or abusing animals is a crime.” This isn’t Schooley’s only legal situation: there is also an issue involving six imported puppies with parvo (an all-too-common story) that ended up being cared for by local animal control for several months.
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Finally, do you ever feel stressed out about things that don’t directly or immediately threaten you? Of course you do. And it may be more than human nature – a new research paper suggests groups of unstressed animals – in this case, zebra finches – can also “catch” stress from their stressed-out compatriots. To make matters worse, a lot of this stress is human-induced. Oops! While short-term stress can be useful for things like avoiding danger or heightening physical performance, chronic stress damages health and social cohesion – and ultimately, a species’ ability to survive. Investigating ways of managing and reducing human-induced stress would be good for all of us, regardless of species.
Also in the News...
★ Richmond Animal Care and Control expanding with new $2 million adoption center (Shelter, Rescue, and Adoption; Council Votes & Public Funding)
★ How did the division of labor emerge in animals and humans? Little-known organisms hold clues (Paleontology; Bryozoan Career Day)
★ Food Animal Scholars Find Their Way (Large Animal Veterinarians; Food Animal Programs)
★ Mystery animal near Yellowstone likely one of area’s rarest critters (Wildlife Spotting; Caught on Camera... Maybe)
★ Rabid kitten, skunk confirmed in South Carolina; 3 people, 7 pets, 23 livestock exposed (Rabies; Public Health & Safety)
★ Five animals that behave differently in moonlight (Fun and Spooky Lists Part I; Dancing in the Moonlight)
★ What Is the Dumbest Animal? These 14 Defy Evolution (Fun and Goofy Lists Part II; Who You Calling Dumb?)
Click here to see what is happening legislatively
