Peanut the Squirrel euthanized 2 days after NY home removal

On November 2, 2024By Littum

“It’s been a terrible nightmare for me,” Mark Longo, owner of Peanut, said in an Instagram video Friday morning.

Two days after he was seized from his home in New York, Peanut the squirrel has been euthanized.

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation and the Chemung County Department of Health announced in a statement Friday afternoon that both a squirrel and raccoon confiscated from a residence on Wednesday had been euthanized to test for rabies. The statement said a person involved in the confiscation investigation was bitten by the squirrel.

Peanut the Squirrel who bragged 534,000 followers on Instagramwas taken from his home in Pine City, New York, by the New York Department of Environmental Conservation on Wednesday morning. Peanut, also known as PNUT, was content creator Mark Longo’s beloved pet. In more than 1,400 posts shared on Instagram, Peanut can be seen munching on waffles, jumping through hula hoops and greetings Longo home from work.

According to the DEC and Department of Health statement, rabies has been found in raccoons in New York’s Southern Tier, which includes Pine City, for more than 30 years.

Over the past few days, Longo has shared several statements about Peanuts Instagram accountkeeping fans updated, hoping Peanut can return home. At the time of publication, Longo had not written anything about the latest news.

“It’s been a terrible nightmare for me,” Longo said in his latest videoposted Friday morning.

In response to Peanut’s fit, a Change.org petition and GoFundMe campaign was created to “give him (Peanut) back” to his family. As of Friday afternoon, the petition had 28,025 signatures and the GoFundMe has raised $7,875.

Why must animals be euthanized to test for rabies?

According to Center for Disease Control and Preventionanimals showing signs of rabies must be euthanized in order to submit a sample to a qualified rabies laboratory for testing. This is because a rabies test includes a “full cross-section of tissue from both the brainstem and the cerebellum.” There are no approved methods for testing animals for rabies ante mortem.

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation and the Chemung County Department of Health advised that anyone who has been in contact with the seized squirrel or raccoon consult a doctor.

Who was Peanut the Squirrel?

Peanut was a rescue squirrel who had lived in Longo’s care for seven years.

Longo first connected with Peanut when he saw the squirrel’s mother get hit by a car, according to earlier USA TODAY reporting. Unfortunately, the mother passed, leaving Peanut an orphan. Longo was unable to find a shelter that would take him in. Longo ended up feeding baby Peanut for about eight months before trying to release him back into the wild.

“I released him in the backyard and a day and a half later I found him sitting on my front porch with half his tail missing. So here I am bawling my eyes out like I failed you as your human,” Longo told USA TODAY in 2022. “And I just opened the door, he ran in, and that was the end of Peanut’s wildlife career.”

For the first five years, Longo, Peanut and Longo’s cat, Chloe, lived together in harmony.

Last year established Longo P’Nut’s Freedom Farm Animal Sanctuary in Pine City. The nonprofit serves as a “paradise where neglected and homeless animals are given a second chance at life,” according to it website. To date, 18 horses, one miniature horse, four cows, three alpacas, one parrot, one pig and two geese call the sanctuary home, according to its website.

USA TODAY reached out to Longo but was unable to reach him for an interview.

Is it legal for squirrels to be kept as pets in NY?

The New York Department of Environmental Conservation states that it is illegal to keep young animals as pets.

“Inappropriate care given to young wild animals often results in abnormal attachment to humans,” the Institute for Environmental Conservation states. “After release, some return to places where people live, only to be attacked by livestock or hit by cars. Some become nuisances by entering stored food, trash cans, or homes. And some may be pushed into home as unwelcome intruders. row of another member of their species.”

If a person finds a young wild animal that is injured or orphaned, the department recommends calling a wildlife rehabilitator, who “are the only people legally allowed to receive and treat distressed wildlife.” The goal of rehabilitators is to safely release the animal, once healthy, back into the wild.

Greta Cross is a national trends reporter at USA TODAY. Follow her on X and Instagram @gretalcross. Story idea? Email her at [email protected].