An orphaned squirrel turned social media star named Peanut was euthanized after state authorities seized the beloved pet during a raid on its caretaker’s home.
Multiple anonymous complaints about Peanut — also spelled P’Nut or PNUT — brought at least six state Department of Environmental Conservation agents to Mark Longo’s home near the Pennsylvania border in rural Pine City on Wednesday, Longo said.
DEC officials took the squirrel and a raccoon named Fred from Longo’s home after executing a search warrant signed by four government agencies, all ignoring calls for leniency.
“The DEC came to my house and raided my house without a search warrant to find a squirrel!” said Longo, who is 34. “I was treated as if I was a drug dealer and they went to get drugs and guns.”
Mark Longo shows off his squirrel Peanut, which was seized by state Department of Environmental Conservation agents, at Longo’s home in rural Pine City, New York
“For the past seven years, Peanut has been my best friend. He has been the center of my world and many of yours for so long, I don’t know how to emotionally process this,” Mark wrote online.
The couple appeared devastated as they posted a video explaining what happened
Longo runs an animal shelter with his wife, but it doesn’t seem to have made a difference.
Longo wrote a sad message to his followers on Friday: “Well internet, you won,” he posted.
“For the past seven years, Peanut has been my best friend. He has been the center of my world and many of yours for so long that I don’t know how to emotionally process this.
“You took one of the most amazing animals from me because of your selfishness. To the group of people who called DEC, there is a special place in hell for you.”
A DEC spokesperson said earlier this week how the agency launched an investigation after receiving “multiple reports from the public regarding the potentially unsafe housing of wild animals that can transmit rabies and the illegal keeping of wild animals as pets.”
Peanut the squirrel had more than 540,000 followers online and seems to be spreading joy
In one of his popular photos, Peanut was eating a waffle while wearing crocheted bunny ears
The squirrel could perform tricks, including jumping through hoops
Mark explained how he tried to release the animal back into the wild, but it simply returned
The little rodent seemed to be an integral part of family life in the rural home in upstate New York
On Friday, the DEC and the Chemung County Department of Health confirmed the fate of both animals.
“On October 30, DEC seized a raccoon and a squirrel that were sharing a home with people, creating the potential for people to be exposed to rabies. In addition, a person involved in the investigation was bitten by the squirrel. To test for rabies, both animals were euthanized,” the agencies said in a statement.
‘The animals are being tested for rabies and anyone who has come into contact with these animals is strongly advised to consult their doctor.’
Peanut had more than half a million followers on Instagram, TikTok and other platforms over the seven years since Longo took him in after seeing his mother hit by a car in New York City.
Longo brought Peanut home and cared for him for eight months before attempting to release the squirrel into the wild.
The love that Mark and his wife Daniela had for the animal is clearly visible
Peanut would jump on Longo’s shoulder and delight thousands
Peanut the squirrel and his owners, Mark Longo and his wife, Daniela, are featured in Peanut’s Instagram videos and photos
“A day and a half later I found him sitting on my porch with half his tail missing and his bone sticking out,” Longo said.
He quickly determined that Peanut did not have the survival skills to live in the wild and would remain an indoor squirrel.
Shortly after Longo posted videos of Peanut playing with his cat, internet fame followed.
A scroll through Peanut’s Instagram account confirms that he was no ordinary squirrel.
Peanut jumped on Longo’s shoulder, wore a miniature cowboy hat and ate a waffle while wearing crocheted bunny ears.
Over the years, Peanut’s story has been featured on television and in newspapers and other places USA today.
Longo, who works as a mechanical engineer, lived in Norwalk, Connecticut, until he decided to move to upstate New York last year to start an animal shelter.
A scroll through Peanut’s Instagram account confirms that he was no ordinary squirrel
The adorable squirrel has appeared in more than 1,400 posts over the past seven years
Fred the raccoon was also euthanized on Friday by New York State officials
P’Nuts Freedom Farm Animal Sanctuary opened in April 2023 and is now home to about 300 animals, including horses, goats and alpacas, said Longo, who runs the sanctuary with his wife Daniela and other family members.
He was aware that it was against New York state law to own a wild animal without a permit and claimed he was in the process of filing paperwork to have Peanut certified as an educational animal.
“If we don’t follow the rules, guide us in the right direction to follow the rules, you know?” Longo said. “Let us know what we need to do to have Peanut in the house and not have to worry about him being taken.”
As for Fred, Longo said he had only had the raccoon for a few months and hoped to rehabilitate the injured creature and return him to the woods.
“It is with deep sorrow that we share the heartbreaking news: on October 30, the DEC made the devastating decision to euthanize our beloved Peanut the squirrel and Fred the raccoon. Despite our passionate calls for compassion, the organization chose to ignore our pleas, leaving us in deep shock and sadness,” read an Instagram post on Friday, accompanied by a video montage of the animals interacting with their smiling caregivers.