The PNut owner recently adopted a miniature dachshund named Howard

Four months after New York bureaucrats massacred the famous squirrel, PNut's owner Mark Longo said he recently adopted a miniature dachshund named Howard and believes the puppy "could be" the reincarnation of his beloved squirrel PNut. "Seeing him running around outside and being best friends with cats reminds me of PNut." Mark Longo, 34, and his wife, Daniela Bittner, 28, decided to adopt Howard from a neighbor two weeks ago, despite their hesitation. "It was an emotional time for me and my family...... I've been hesitant to get a new pet because I'm not sure what's going on." They are still mourning for PNut, which was brutally taken away on Oct. 30 by New York State Department of Environmental Protection staff during a raid on their Long Island home and animal shelter. Because the state government claims to test it for rabies, and the rabies test requires that it must be decapitated because PNut bit the hand of one of the staff members during the incident.