Social Media Star Peanut the Squirrel Euthanized by New York State, Owners Plan to Take Legal Action

justjared.com:

Peanut the Squirrel is making waves worldwide. The beloved social media star, with over 619,000 followers on Instagram and 100,000 followers on TikTok alone, was sadly euthanized by New York state wildlife officials as part of a test for rabies, via CBS News. Mark Longo, Peanut‘s owner, says that excessive force was used to seize the pet squirrel, as state wildlife officials said it was illegal to own Peanut. “Peanut was the best thing that ever happened to us,” he emotionally stated in a recent social media post confirming the news.

The New York state Department of Environmental Conservation confirmed that they seized the squirrel earlier in the week, along with a pet raccoon named Fred. Keep reading to find out more… “On Oct.

30, DEC seized a raccoon and squirrel sharing a residence with humans, creating the potential for human exposure to rabies. In addition, a person involved with the investigation was bitten by the squirrel.

To test for rabies, both animals were euthanized,” the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation and Chemung County Department of Health said in a statement. “The animals are being tested for rabies and anyone who has been in contact with these animals is strongly encouraged to consult their physician.” Mark said the raid on his home and farm, known as P’nuts Freedom Farm, took five hours. “You need that many officers to show up to my house to literally pull my closets apart?” he said.