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Peanut the squirrel was confiscated and removed from New York's home

“We anticipate that the DEC will not tell us whether Peanut is still alive or not,” owner Mark Longo told his followers Thursday.

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A wild animal turned social media star was confiscated from his New York residence this week, and fans are working to bring him home.

Peanut the squirrel, who has 534,000 followers on Instagram, was abducted from his home in Pine City, New York, by the New York City Department of Environmental Conservation on Wednesday morning. Peanut, also known as PNUT, is the beloved pet of content creator Mark Longo. In more than 1,400 posts shared on Instagram, Peanut can be seen eating waffles, jumping through hula hoops and greeting Longo home from work.

In a post on Instagram on Wednesday that included a photo of Peanut wearing a cowboy hat, Longo shared the news.

“Well, Internet, you win,” Longo wrote in the post. “You took one of the most amazing animals away from me because of your selfishness. Today, Wednesday, October 30, 2024, at 10 a.m., the New York State DEC showed up at my house and took Peanut with them. He was put to sleep.” I am shocked, disbelieving and outraged at the people who did this to PNUT. For the last seven years he has been the center of my world and for many of you too. “I don’t know how to process this emotionally.”

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“This is insane”: Social media fans upset about Peanut’s removal

The New York City Department of Environmental Protection sent USA TODAY the following statement about the seizure:

“Following multiple reports from the public about the potentially unsafe housing of wild animals that could transmit rabies and the illegal keeping of wild animals as pets, DEC conducted an investigation. The DEC investigation is ongoing and further information will be provided as it becomes available.”

In response to Peanut's seizure, a petition was created on Change.org calling on the Department of Environmental Protection to “reconsider their decision and return him (Peanut) to his family.” As of Friday morning, the petition had 24,772 signatures.

“Dear MPs, please look at this situation and stop it. This is insane,” one petitioner said in a video provided to the campaign. “Please give the guy back his squirrel. This little animal brought so much love and so much joy to so many people during such a dark time in human history. This is wrong.”

In addition to the petition, a GoFundMe campaign has been launched to raise donations “to cover legal fees for attorneys to assist us in repairing the damage caused and ensuring Peanut's return to his loving home.” As of Friday morning, 6,510 US -dollars came together.

In a post published on Instagram on Thursday, Longo shared a video with an update and a thank you to Peanut fans.

“We assume that the DEC will not tell us whether Peanut is alive or not,” Longo said in the video. I can't give you a definitive answer as to whether he's still here with us or not. I hope we have the opportunity to take him back and continue this journey.”

Who is Peanut the Squirrel?

Peanut is a rescued squirrel who has been in Longo's care for seven years.

According to previous reporting by USA TODAY, Longo first came into contact with Peanut when he saw the squirrel's mother get hit by a car. Unfortunately, the mother died and Peanut was an orphan. Longo was unable to find an animal shelter that would accept him. Longo ended up feeding baby Peanut for about eight months before attempting to release him back into the wild.

“I released him in the back yard, and a day and a half later I found him sitting on my porch with half of his tail missing. So I'm sitting here balling out my eyes like I failed you as your human,” Longo told USA TODAY in 2022. “And I kind of opened the door, he ran in and that was the last one in Peanuts Wildlife Career.”

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

Last year, Longo founded P'Nuts Freedom Farm Animal Sanctuary in Pine City. According to its website, the nonprofit serves as a “sanctuary where neglected and homeless animals are given a second chance at life.” To date, the sanctuary is home to 18 horses, a miniature horse, four cows, three alpacas, a parrot, a pig and two geese, according to the website.

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

Is it legal to keep squirrels as pets in New York?

The New York City Department of Environmental Protection says it is illegal to keep young wild animals as pets.

“Inadequate care of young wild animals often leads to abnormal attachments to humans,” explains the Department of Environmental Conservation. “After release, some return to places where people live, only to be attacked by pets or hit by cars. Some become a nuisance by getting into stored food, trash cans or homes. And some may be thrust into the home as unwelcome intruders.” range 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 authorized to take in and treat distressed wild animals.” The goal of rehabilitators is to safely release the animal back into the wild when it is healthy.

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

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