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

A man who turned his pet squirrel into a social media star vowed Saturday that New York State's decision to seize and kill the animal "will not go unanswered."

"We're going to take a stand on how this administration and the state of New York are using our resources," Mark Longo said in a phone interview.

He declined to specify his next steps, but said authorities will soon hear from him about what happened to Peanut the chipmunk and Fred, a rescued raccoon who was also confiscated and killed.

The state Department of Environmental Conservation seized the animals Wednesday from Longo's Home and Animal Shelter in rural Pine City, near the Pennsylvania border. The organization said it had received complaints of illegal and potentially unsafe wildlife keeping.

State law requires people to be licensed to keep wild animals. Luongo said he was trying to get Peanut certified as a training animal.

DEC and the Chemung County Health Department announced Friday that the squirrel and raccoon were euthanized for rabies testing after a person involved in the investigation bit into a peanut.

Longo said Saturday that he did not see Peanut bite anyone during what he described as a long and difficult search. He said authorities have not spoken to him since leaving the property.

"Honestly, it still seems a little surreal, that the state I live in actually attacked me and took two of the loveliest animals on the planet without even quarantining them," he said. They took them from my house and just killed them."

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

Longo said he took care of Peanut after the animal's mother was hit by a car in New York City seven years ago. Tens of thousands of users on Instagram, TikTok and other social media platforms saw the animal wearing little hats, doing tricks and biting into tiny waffles in its tiny paws.

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

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