Instagram-famous squirrel is euthanized after heartbroken owner pleaded with New York state to get him back

An orphaned squirrel that became a societal media prima called Peanut was euthanized aft authorities authorities seized the beloved favored during a raid connected his caretaker's home.

Multiple anonymous complaints astir Peanut - besides spelled P'Nut oregon PNUT - brought astatine slightest six officers from the authorities Department of Environmental Conservation to Mark Longo's location adjacent the Pennsylvania borderline successful agrarian Pine City connected Wednesday, Longo said.

DEC officials took the squirrel and a raccoon named Fred from Longo's location aft they carried retired a hunt warrant signed by 4 authorities agencies, each ignoring calls for clemency.

'The DEC came to my location and raided my location without a hunt warrant to find a squirrel!' said Longo, who is 34. 'I was treated arsenic if I was a cause trader and they were going for drugs and guns.' 

Longo runs an carnal sanctuary with him wife, yet it appears to person made nary difference. 

Longo penned a sorrowful connection to his followers connected Friday: 'Well internet, you WON,' helium posted. 

'For the past 7 years, Peanut has been my champion friend. He’s been the halfway of my satellite and galore of yours for truthful long, I don’t cognize however to process this, emotionally. 

'You took 1 of the astir astonishing animals distant from maine due to the fact that of your selfishness. To the radical of radical who called DEC, there's a peculiar spot successful hellhole for you.' 

A spokesperson for the DEC said earlier successful the week however the bureau started an probe aft receiving 'multiple reports from the nationalist astir the perchance unsafe lodging of wildlife that could transportation rabies and the amerciable keeping of wildlife arsenic pets.'

On Friday, the DEC and Chemung County Department of Health confirmed some animals' fate.

'On October 30, DEC seized a raccoon and squirrel sharing a residence with humans, creating the imaginable for quality vulnerability to rabies. In addition, a idiosyncratic progressive with the probe was bitten by the squirrel. To trial for rabies, some animals were euthanized,' the agencies said successful a statement. 

'The animals are being tested for rabies and anyone who has been successful interaction with these animals is powerfully encouraged to consult their physician.'

Peanut had much than fractional a cardinal followers connected Instagram, TikTok and different platforms during the 7 years since Longo took him successful aft seeing his parent get deed by a car successful New York City.

Longo brought Peanut location and cared for him for 8 months earlier trying to merchandise the squirrel into the large outdoors. 

'A time and a fractional aboriginal I recovered him sitting connected my structure missing fractional of his process with his bony sticking out,' Longo said.

He rapidly determined that Peanut lacked the endurance skills to unrecorded successful the chaotic and would stay an indoor squirrel.

Soon aft Longo posted videos of Peanut playing with his cat, net fame followed.

A scroll done Peanut's Instagram relationship confirms helium was nary mean squirrel. 

Peanut would leap connected to Longo's shoulder, deterioration a miniature cowboy hat, and devour a waffle portion wearing crocheted bunny ears.

Over the years Peanut's communicative has been featured connected TV and newspapers including USA Today.

Longo, who works arsenic a mechanical engineer, was surviving successful Norwalk, Connecticut, until helium decided to determination to upstate New York past twelvemonth to commencement an carnal sanctuary.

P´Nuts Freedom Farm Animal Sanctuary opened successful April 2023 and present houses astir 300 animals including horses, goats and alpacas, said Longo, who runs the sanctuary with his wife, Daniela, and different household members.

He was alert that it was against New York authorities instrumentality to ain a chaotic carnal without a licence and claimed helium was successful the process of filing paperwork to get Peanut certified arsenic an acquisition animal.

'If we're not pursuing the rules, usher america successful the close absorption to travel the rules, you know?' Longo said. 'Let america cognize what we request to bash to person Peanut successful the location and not person to interest astir him getting taken.'

As for Fred, Longo said helium lone had the raccoon for a fewer months and was hoping to rehabilitate the injured carnal and merchandise him backmost to the woods.

'It is with profound sorrow that we stock the heartbreaking news: connected October 30th, the DEC made the devastating determination to euthanize our beloved Peanut the squirrel and Fred the raccoon. Despite our passionate outcry for compassion, the bureau chose to disregard our pleas, leaving america successful heavy daze and grief,' an Instagram station work connected Friday, accompanied by a video montage of the animals interacting with their smiling caretakers.