Should the government come in a raid a person's home over a possible illegal pet?

Government out of control. 

The New York Department of Environmental Conservation states that it is illegal for young wildlife to be kept as pets.

If an individual finds a young wild animal that is injured or orphaned, the department recommends making a call to a wildlife rehabilitator, who "are the only people legally allowed to receive and treat distressed wildlife." 

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2024/11/01/peanut-the-squirrel-seized/75986462007/

Therefore, since Mr. Longo is not a wildlife rehabilitator, there is no paperwork that would have permitted him to keep P'nut.  

Is it your position that only some laws need to be followed?

I think a legal animal sanctuary should be allowed to house the squirrel or any other animal legally as long as the animals are cared for.  Mr. Longoria did indeed own a legal animal sanctuary in Pine City NY. 

There is an 8 hr course to be an licensed animal rehabilator. And yes there was  paperwork to register P'Nut as an educational animal.  

Rather than doing a raid as the DEC did, they could have simply explained, you are required to take this course
 And file this paperwork.   But no they chose to be aggressive and go in like they were busting a drug dealer. A department drunk on power.

• An animal sanctuary is a facility where animals are brought to live and to be protected for the rest of their lives.

• Rehabilitators are compassionate wildlife advocates who believe that saving even a single injured, ill, or orphaned wild animal is a worthy cause. The ultimate goal is to return every patient to the wild, to allow them to carry out a free life, in nature.

Do you see the difference?  The sanctuary keeps them for life; the rehabilitator prepares them to return to the wild.  

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"Wildlife rehabilitators need proper certification through the International Wildlife Rehabilitation Council, which offers the Certified Wildlife Rehabilitator certification. To earn this certification, applicants may pass an exam and renew their credentials every two years. Many rehabilitators also choose to specialize in a specific type of animal, such as mammals or reptiles."
https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/career-development/how-to-become-a-wildlife-rehabilitator

Clearly, this man wasn't certified as a rehabilitator - flouted the law and got caught.  The government did what it was supposed to do.  I'm sure if someone had gotten rabies from P'nut you would have said that the man should have been jailed.

Again, he was already legal animal sanctuary.   And in order to be a licensed animal rehabilitator in NY, it is an 8 hr class.  And he was already in the process of the paperwork to designate the squirrel as an educational animal.   

They should have handled this peacefully  working with the people rather than treating them like drug dealers.  

As if law enforcement in NY does not have anything more pressing to do than worry about a pet squirrel at an animal sanctuary.   

Pnut did not have rabies.   Animal control could look at an animal and know if they have rabbies. And can wait to make sure by isolating and observing the animal for 10 days. 

There has never been a documented case of any squirrel to human transmission of rabies in the US.