The man who took in orphaned squirrel Peanut speaks out after pet is euthanized

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’s decision to seize and euthanize the animal “will not go unheard.”

We’re going to take a stand on how this government and the state of New York are spending their resources,” Mark Longo said in a telephone interview.

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

The state Department of Environmental Conservation took the animals Wednesday from Longo’s home and animal sanctuary in rural Pine City, near the Pennsylvania border. The agency said it had received complaints that the wildlife was being kept illegally and potentially unsafe.

State law requires people to get a license if they want to own a wild animal. Longo has said he was working to get Peanut — also known as P’Nut or PNUT — certified as an educational 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 a person involved in the investigation.

Longo said Saturday that he did not see Peanut bite anyone during what he described as an hours-long, heavy-handed search. Authorities have not spoken to him since they left the property, he said.

“Honestly, it still feels a little surreal that the state I live in actually targeted me and took away two of the most beloved animals on this planet, didn’t even quarantine them. They took them from my house and killed them just,” 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 caught a glimpse of the animal wearing little hats, doing tricks and nibbling on waffles clutched in its tiny paws.

Longo said Fred the raccoon was dropped off on his doorstep a few months ago. After helping the animal recover from injuries, Longo said he and his wife planned to release the creature into the woods.