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    Peanut the Squirrel was euthanized two days after moving to New York

    Vaseline Posted on

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

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    Two days after he was captured from his New York home, Peanut the Squirrel was 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 a raccoon seized from a home on Wednesday had been euthanized for testing for rabies. The statement said a person involved in the seizure investigation was bitten by the squirrel.

    Peanut the Squirrel, who had 534,000 followers on Instagram, was removed 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 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 when he gets home from work.

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

    In recent days, Longo has shared several statements on Peanut’s Instagram account, keeping fans informed in hopes that Peanut will be allowed to return home. At the time of publication, Longo had not posted about the recent news.

    “It’s been a horrible nightmare for me,” Longo said in his most recent video, which he posted Friday morning.

    In response to Peanut’s seizure, a Change.org petition and a GoFundMe campaign were set up to “return him (Peanut)” to his family. As of Friday afternoon, the petition had 28,025 signatures and the GoFundMe has raised $7,875.

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    Why must animals be euthanized to test for rabies?

    According to the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention, animals showing signs of rabies must be euthanized before the sample can be sent to a qualified rabies laboratory for testing. This is because a rabies test involves a “complete cross-section of tissue from both the brainstem and cerebellum.” There are no approved methods for ante-mortem testing for rabies in animals.

    The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation and the Chemung County Department of Health advised anyone who came into contact with the seized squirrel or raccoon to 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 previous USA TODAY reporting. Unfortunately, the mother died, leaving Peanut an orphan. Longo failed to find a shelter that would receive him. Longo ended up nursing baby Peanut for about eight months before attempting to release him back into the wild.

    “I let him loose in the backyard, and a day and a half later I found him sitting on my 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 opened the door a little bit, he ran in and that was the last of Peanut’s 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. The nonprofit serves as a “sanctuary where neglected and homeless animals are given a second chance at life,” according to its website. So far, 18 horses, one miniature horse, four cows, three alpacas, one parrot, one pig and two geese call the sanctuary home, 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 Department of Environmental Conservation says it is illegal to keep young wildlife as pets.

    “Improper care of young wildlife often results in abnormal attachment to humans,” states 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 when they end up in stored food, garbage bins or homes. And some may enter the home as unwanted intruders . range of another member of their species.”

    If someone 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 take in and rescue distressed wildlife.” to deal with.” The goal of rehabilitation centers is to safely release the animal back into the wild when it is healthy.

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

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