‘Virtually zero risk’: Rabies expert questions killing of pet squirrel Peanut – Times of India

The euthanasia of ‘Peanut’, a social-media-famous pet squirrel, and Fred, a rescued raccoon, by New York State’s Division of Environmental Conservation (DEC), has drawn sharp criticism from specialists and animal rights advocates. As per the New York Publish, infectious illness specialist Dr Edward R. Rensimer described the choice as “insane,” arguing that the percentages of both animal having rabies had been “nearly zero.”Peanut and Fred had been seized from Mark Longo’s upstate animal sanctuary in October, allegedly for being housed with out permits. In keeping with the DEC, the motion was necessitated after Peanut reportedly bit an agent on the thumb via protecting gloves. Nevertheless, Dr Rensimer, who has been finding out rabies for many years, identified that no documented instances of squirrel-to-human rabies transmission exist in the USA. “Some animals virtually by no means get rabies,” he mentioned, citing a New York State Division of Well being reality sheet.Knowledgeable requires options to euthanasiaDr Rensimer criticised the DEC’s method, suggesting that quarantining the animals for 10 days to observe for signs would have been a extra rational response. He additional famous that rabies signs sometimes manifest inside a particular timeframe in animals like cats, canines, and ferrets, making the rapid decapitation of Peanut and Fred for rabies testing pointless.Fred, a younger raccoon present in poor situation months in the past, had been beneath Longo’s look after an prolonged interval, whereas Peanut had lived with him for seven years. In keeping with Dr Rensimer, this timeline made the chance of both animal being rabid extraordinarily low. He additionally emphasised that rabies immunisation for the allegedly bitten DEC agent might have neutralised any potential danger.Allegations of premeditated euthanasiaIncluding to the controversy, The New York Publish reported that the DEC had allegedly deliberate to euthanise the animals a minimum of every week earlier than the supposed chunk incident. The DEC has not offered proof of the chunk nor defined why much less invasive options weren’t pursued. Check outcomes later confirmed that neither animal was rabid.Mark Longo, devastated by the lack of Peanut and Fred, described the raid on his sanctuary, Peanut’s Freedom Farm, as extreme, taking 5 hours and involving a number of officers. “You want that many officers to actually pull my closets aside?” he mentioned in a video on Instagram, the place he additionally mourned the lack of Peanut.Authorized and public backlashIn keeping with CBS Information, Longo had been within the strategy of acquiring the mandatory permits to adjust to state laws. “We had been able to comply… We would have liked a bit little bit of steering from the DEC,” he mentioned. Longo’s legal professional, Nora Constance Marino, referred to as the euthanasia “outrageous” and instructed that officers acted with out contemplating humane options.Animal rights activists have rallied behind Longo, with tens of hundreds signing an internet petition demanding justice for Peanut. In the meantime, Longo has filed a authorized declare towards the state, looking for solutions for what he calls a mindless killing.Dr Rensimer additionally questioned the DEC’s intentions, saying, “It sounds extra to me like that they had an agenda and created a reality foundation round it fairly than doing the correct factor.”