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By Alice Gibbs
Senior Reporter
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A squirrel with hundreds of thousands of fans online has been euthanized after being seized by New York state authorities on October 30.
Mark Longo's pet squirrel Peanut, and a raccoon named Fred, were taken into the care of the state's Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) during a raid following anonymous complaints about the animals' living conditions.
Longo, 34, has launched a campaign online to get his animals back after officers came to his home in rural Pine City. "The DEC showed up in my house and issued me a search warrant for a squirrel and a raccoon," Longo told Newsweek. "They raided my house as if I was a drug dealer or something. It is the most shocking thing I have ever seen or witnessed in my life."
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Peanut, affectionately known as P'Nut or PNUT, has lived with Longo for seven years now and gained fame for his playful antics, often seen wearing tiny cowboy hats or munching on waffles while wearing crocheted bunny ears.
On Friday, November 1, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation and Chemung County Department of Health told Newsweek: "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 animals are being tested for rabies and anyone who has been in contact with these animals is strongly encouraged to consult their physician."
They added: "The Chemung County Department of Health and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) are coordinating to ensure the protection of public health related to the illegal possession of wild animals that have the potential to carry the rabies virus."
Longo, who has shared countless videos of Peanut on Instagram and TikTok, took to social media to express his grief over the seizure. "Well, internet, you won," said Longo in a post after the seizure of his beloved squirrel, believing that the reports that led to the raid came from people online who dislike him.
Longo's bond with Peanut began seven years ago when he rescued the squirrel after witnessing its mother being struck by a car in New York City. He cared for Peanut for eight months before attempting to release him back into the wild, only to find the injured animal back on his porch shortly afterward.
Following the incident, Longo decided to keep Peanut as a pet, and the squirrel's social media fame skyrocketed. In April 2023, Longo opened P'Nuts Freedom Farm Animal Sanctuary in upstate New York, where he cares for around 300 animals, including horses, goats, and alpacas. Despite acknowledging that keeping a wild animal without a permit is against New York law, Longo said he was in the process of obtaining certification for Peanut as an educational animal.
Since the news of Peanut and Fred's euthanasia, their story has gained serious attention. Tesla and X CEO posted an AI-generated image of Peanut as a Star Wars character with the quote: "'If you strike me down, I will become more powerful than you could possibly imagine' Obi PNut Kenobi"
A supporter of Donald Trump, Musk has used the opportunity to criticize the current government. "The government should not be allowed to barge into your house and kill your pet!" He said in another post on X. "That's messed up. Even if it is illegal to have a pet squirrel (which it shouldn't be), why kill PNut instead of simply releasing him into the forest!?"
The story has also reached the campaign trail as Republican vice presidential nominee JD Vance told a rally on Sunday that Donald Trump is "fired up" about the squirrel's death.
At a rally in Sanford, North Carolina, Vance said: "The same government that doesn't care about hundreds of thousands of illegal immigrant criminals coming into our country, doesn't want us to have pets."
New York Congressman Nick Langworthy also took to X to express his upset over the seizure of the internet-famous animal. "In New York State, we have sanctuaries for illegal immigrants while innocent pets are killed," he said.
Longo has also been vocal about the incident on social media, and has launched a GoFundMe titled: "Call For Justice for Peanut the Squirrel and NYSDEC Reform" that has already raised over $150,000.
The seizure of Peanut and Fred is not an isolated incident; Longo joins a growing list of animal owners challenging similar actions by the DEC. Recently, a Buffalo-area man has been suing the agency to recover his pet alligator, which was also confiscated.
Update 11/4/24, 3:00 a.m. ET: This story was updated with new information from the DEC and reaction from celebrities and politicians.
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