The Instagram-famous squirrel lovingly known as Peanut was euthanized by New York State after complaints were made — but new information shows the critter had a death sentence well before officers raided his owner’s home in October.
On October 30, Mark Longo — Peanut’s owner — took to Instagram to deliver heartbreaking news to his 500K followers.
“The DEC came to my house and raided my house without a search warrant to find a squirrel!” Longo said. “I was treated as if I was a drug dealer and they were going for drugs and guns.”
Both Peanut and his raccoon buddy, Fred, were euthanized by New York’s Department of Environmental Conservation after “multiple reports from the public about the potentially unsafe housing of wildlife that could carry rabies and the illegal keeping of wildlife as pets.”
However, it turns out that the animals had a death sentence well before the October 30 raid, according to a newly-discovered timeline from Chemung County unearthed by the New York Post in November.
The timeline shows that state officials had requested the critters get tested for rabies seven days prior to the raid on Longo’s home, per a request written to the county on October 23. The DEC was also scheduling their euthanization with Elmira Animal Control on October 29, the day prior to the raid.
“Wildlife cannot be confined like domestic animals, and if there was an exposure, the animals would need to be tested for rabies,” the New York State Department of Health wrote.
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Rabies can’t be determined through avenues like blood testing; instead, subjects must be decapitated so their brains can be dissected and examined. This means that the State had already sealed the animals’ fates with their request — a discovery that left Longo stunned.
“I’m in utter shock,” Longo said in response to the Post’s findings. “I’d like to give you a proper statement, but for now I’ll just say, ‘Wow.’”
And here’s the kicker: Neither Peanut nor Fred tested positive for rabies, as confirmed by Chemung County Executive Christopher Moss.
Peanut’s death sparked outrage across the internet, leaving animal lovers heartbroken and Longo devastated.
“Well internet, you won,” Longo said on Instagram. “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.”
Netizens are still working to find the person responsible for making the complaint, resulting in a wrongful accusation against TikToker Monica Kessler who created a viral video pleading her innocence and offering her sympathies to Longo.
