Peanut Squirrel’s Owner Tears Up New York to Seize, Kill Social Media Star

The owners of a pet squirrel with a massive social media following are going nuclear on New York government officials … accusing the state of abusing power and wasting taxpayer funds to seize and kill Peanut, all because of some anonymous allegations.

Mark Longo and his wife, Danielajoined us on “TMZ Live” Friday and shared their outrage over what they say has been a grave injustice … and it got emotional.

Mark tells us that officials from the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation showed up on his doorstep Wednesday with a search warrant signed by 4 state agencies and a judge … treating him like a criminal as they raided his home in search of Peanut.

Mark says his wife was questioned about her immigration status during the search … and one of their raccoons was also taken. Both Peanut and the raccoon have since been euthanized as a result of rabies tests.

Honestly, it all sounds ridiculous … and Mark says that Peanut lived happily with him for 7 years, spreading joy on the Internet with funny and healthy videos and becoming his best friend in the process.

Although it’s technically illegal to own a squirrel in NY, Mark says he didn’t hide Peanut — the squirrel has 532,000 followers on IG and over 1,400 posts — and he says anonymous complaints about Peanut led state agencies to obtain a search warrant to tear the animal from its home and kill it.

Fighting back tears and with a clear sense of anger in his voice, Mark tells us that it’s unthinkable that the state is so concerned about a squirrel that he says didn’t hurt anyone … and he thinks it’s a example of everything that is broken in our country. .

Mark says Peanut was the cornerstone of his family and his nonprofit animal rescue, P’Nut’s Freedom Farm Animal Sanctuary … and he doesn’t know how to go on without his squirrel friend.