An orphaned squirrel that became a social media star called Peanut was euthanized after state authorities seized the beloved pet during a raid on his caretaker’s home, authorities said Friday.
After anonymous complaints, officers from the state Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) took the squirrel and a raccoon named Fred from Mark Longo’s home near the Pennsylvania border in rural Pine City on Wednesday, Longo said.
On Friday, the DEC and Chemung County Department of Health confirmed both animals’ fate.
“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 agencies said in a statement, CBS News in New York reported. “The animals are being tested for rabies and anyone who has been in contact with these animals is strongly encouraged to consult their physician.”
Neither agency responded to The Associated Press’s requests for comment.
“We will make a stance on how this government and New York state utilizes their resources,” Longo said in a phone interview on Saturday.
He declined to specify his possible next steps but said officials would hear from him soon about what happened to Peanut and Fred.
State law requires people to get a license if they wish to own a wild animal. Longo has said he was working to get Peanut—also known as P’Nut or PNUT—certified as an educational animal.
Longo said he didn’t see Peanut bite anyone during what he described as an hourslong, heavy-handed search. The authorities haven’t spoken with him since they left the property, he said.
“Honestly, this still kind of feels surreal, that the state that I live in actually targeted me and took two of the most beloved animals on this planet away, didn’t even quarantine them. They took them from my house and just killed them,” he said.
Longo said he started caring for Peanut after the animal’s mother was hit by a car in New York City seven years ago. Tens of thousands of users on social media glimpsed the animal sporting tiny hats, doing tricks, and nibbling on waffles clutched in his little paws.
Longo said Fred the raccoon was dropped off on his doorstep a few months ago. After helping the animal recover from injuries, Longo said, he and his wife were planning to release the creature into the woods.