Instagram-famous squirrel euthanized by New York authorities

An orphaned squirrel that became a social media star called Peanut was euthanized after state authorities seized the beloved pet during a raid on his caretaker's home.

Multiple anonymous complaints about Peanut - also spelled P'Nut or PNUT - brought at least six officers from the state Department of Environmental Conservation to Mark Longo's home near the Pennsylvania border in rural Pine City on Wednesday.

DEC officials took the squirrel and a raccoon named Fred from Longo's home after they carried out a search warrant signed by four state agencies, all ignoring calls for clemency.

'The DEC came to my house and raided my house without a search warrant to find a squirrel!' said Longo, who is 34. 'I was treated as if I was a drug dealer and they were going for drugs and guns.' 

Longo runs an animal sanctuary with him wife Daniela, yet it appears to have made no difference. 

Longo penned a sorrowful message to his followers on Friday: 'Well internet, you WON,' he posted. 

'For the last 7 years, Peanut has been my best friend. He’s been the center of my world and many of yours for so long, I don’t know how to process this, emotionally. 

'You took one of the most amazing animals away from me because of your selfishness. To the group of people who called DEC, there's a special place in hell for you.' 

A spokesperson for the DEC said earlier in the week how the agency started an investigation after receiving 'multiple reports from the public about the potentially unsafe housing of wildlife that could carry rabies and the illegal keeping of wildlife as pets.'

On Friday, the DEC and Chemung County Department of Health confirmed both animals' fate.

'On October 30, DEC seized a raccoon and squirrel sharing a residence with humans, creating the potential for human exposure to rabies. In addition, a person involved with the investigation was bitten by the squirrel. To test for rabies, both animals were euthanized,' the agencies said in a statement. 

'The animals are being tested for rabies and anyone who has been in contact with these animals is strongly encouraged to consult their physician.'

Peanut had more than half a million followers on Instagram, TikTok and other platforms during the seven years since Longo took him in after seeing his mother get hit by a car in New York City.

Longo brought Peanut home and cared for him for eight months before trying to release the squirrel into the great outdoors. 

'A day and a half later I found him sitting on my porch missing half of his tail with his bone sticking out,' Longo said.

He quickly determined that Peanut lacked the survival skills to live in the wild and would remain an indoor squirrel.

Soon after Longo posted videos of Peanut playing with his cat, internet fame followed.

A scroll through Peanut's Instagram account confirms he was no ordinary squirrel. 

Peanut would leap on to Longo's shoulder, wear a miniature cowboy hat, and eat a waffle while wearing crocheted bunny ears.

Over the years Peanut's story has been featured on TV and newspapers including USA Today.

Longo, who works as a mechanical engineer, was living in Norwalk, Connecticut, until he decided to move to upstate New York last year to start an animal sanctuary.

P´Nuts Freedom Farm Animal Sanctuary opened in April 2023 and now houses about 300 animals including horses, goats and alpacas, said Longo, who runs the sanctuary with Daniela and other family members.

He was aware that it was against New York state law to own a wild animal without a license and claimed he was in the process of filing paperwork to get Peanut certified as an educational animal.

'If we're not following the rules, guide us in the right direction to follow the rules, you know?' Longo said. 'Let us know what we need to do to have Peanut in the house and not have to worry about him getting taken.'

As for Fred, Longo said he only had the raccoon for a few months and was hoping to rehabilitate the injured creature and release him back to the woods.

'It is with profound sorrow that we share the heartbreaking news: on October 30th, the DEC made the devastating decision to euthanize our beloved Peanut the squirrel and Fred the raccoon,' he wrote on Instagram. 

'Despite our passionate outcry for compassion, the agency chose to ignore our pleas, leaving us in deep shock and grief.'