PINE CITY, N.Y. (WENY) -- P’Nuts Freedom Farm Animal Sanctuary Inc.’s motto is “a place where second chances become a reality” and the owners of the nonprofit organization have decided to carry out their mission in Pine City.  

In April of 2023, Mark and Dani Longo came to a decision, after traveling across the county, to set up camp in Upstate New York. Currently, their animal sanctuary is home to over 250 friends with feathers and fur.  

“It started with one rescue and now we're over 250 rescues here at our sanctuary and we wanted to develop a place where, you know, where...animals need a second chance at life, and we wanted to be the voice for those animals,” Mark said.  

The one rescue that jump-started the married couple’s mission to open the sanctuary was Peanut the squirrel. Six years ago, after Mark witnessed Peanut's mom get hit in New York City traffic, he said instead of running away, Peanut crawled to him for safety. 

“I kind of took him off the street,” he said. “He could not relive in the wild, so he became a domesticated indoor squirrel and because of Peanut, we decided to start P'Nuts Freedom Farm.”  

Over the course of their relationship, Mark and Dani have traveled across the country to help neglected and injured animals. Now, they have settled down at their perfect spot to set up the sanctuary for any animal from horses and goats and ducks to a squirrel and a Macaw. 

“As soon as we got here, we started the construction...everything you see here is brand new,” he said. “We wanted to develop as quickly as possible so we could start focusing on the animals and really bringing this place to life.” 

As the farm continues to grow, Mark and Dani opened their doors to everyone for help. 

“It's a perfect place for people to come and give a helping hand and... just enjoy this as much as we do,” he said.