An orphaned squirrel who was nursed back to health and kept as a beloved pet for seven years was seized by local government authorities and eventually euthanized, the owner announced in an emotional Instagram post. The story has generated national outrage over government overreach, with X owner Elon Musk and several additional high-profile public figures weighing in.
Peanut the Squirrel, a seven-year-old gray rescue squirrel whose exploits had gone viral on social media, euthanized after the pet was seized by New York state earlier this week, according to the Department of Environmental Conservation. Peanut, along with “Fred” the raccoon, were seized when a large group of officials searched owner Mark Longo’s property for more than five hours.
The DEC claimed that Peanut, who was known to be docile throughout his lengthy and publicly documented life in captivity, bit a state worker while he was being confiscated from his Elmira home. New York officials then euthanized Peanut, along with the raccoon, in order to test for the presence of rabies.
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“In addition, a person involved with the investigation was bitten by the squirrel. To test for rabies, both animals were euthanized.