Man says it's 'surreal' that officials euthanized Peanut the squirrel

NEW YORK (AP) — A man who took in an orphaned squirrel and turned it into a social media star vowed Saturday that New York state made the decision seize and put to sleep the beast “will not go unheard.”

“We will take a stand on how this administration and New York state use their resources,” Mark Longo said in a telephone interview.

He declined to specify his possible next steps, but said officials would soon hear from him about what happened to Peanut the squirrel and Fred, a rescued raccoon that was also seized and euthanized.

The state Department of Environmental Protection took the animals with him Wednesday from Longo's home and animal shelter in rural Pine City, near the Pennsylvania border. The agency said it had received complaints that wildlife was being kept illegally and potentially unsafely.

State law requires people to obtain a license if they want to own a wild animal. Longo said he is working to get Peanut — also known as P'Nut or PNUT — certified as a learning animal.

The DEC and Chemung County Health Department said Friday that the squirrel and raccoon were euthanized so they could be tested for rabies after Peanut bit someone involved in the investigation.

Longo said Saturday he didn't see Peanut bite anyone during what he called an hours-long, persistent search. Authorities have not spoken to him since they left the property, he said.

“Honestly, it still feels kind of surreal that the state I live in actually targeted me and took away two of the most beloved animals on this planet and didn't even quarantine them. They took her out of my house and just killed her,” he said.

A request for comment was sent to the DEC on Saturday.

Longo said he began 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 of Instagram, TikTok and other social media platforms saw the animal wearing tiny hats, doing tricks and nibbling waffles held in his tiny paws.

Longo said Fred the raccoon was dropped off at his front door a few months ago. After helping the animal recover from its injuries, he and his wife planned to release the animal into the forest, Longo said.

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Associated Press writer Jennifer Peltz contributed. Follow Julie Walker on X @jwalkreporter.