Tragic news has broken in the world of pet influencers: Peanut, a rescued squirrel and influencer, was unexpectedly seized by authorities and euthanized on October 30th. One of his rescued roommates, Fred the Racoon, was also taken and put down. Peanut’s owner, Mark Longo, first found out that they were immediately euthanized via the press the following day. Since the news went viral, online outrage has grown exponentially.
Peanut was rescued as a baby seven years ago and was too injured to be released back into the wild. His humans started documenting his life on social media, where he quickly became a celebrity with millions of followers.
This led to his humans launching P’nuts Freedom Farm, a non-profit sanctuary in Pine City, New York.
Peanut was known for his love of waffles – And his fans loved to watch him share them with his dad.
@peanut_the_squirrel12 Knowing ill never share a waffle with you again absolutely kills me. Ill love you forever, mousey #fyp #tiktok #fypp #foryou #foryoupage #foryourpage ♬ See You Again (feat. Charlie Puth) – Wiz Khalifa
Then the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) raided their farm and seized Peanut and Fred on Oct 30th. Longo has since said the raid was excessive and took over 5 hours.
There was some hope that Peanut and Fred could be returned…
Then on November 1st, the DEC released a statement to the media that Peanut and Fred had been euthanized on October 30th – the same day they were seized. And this was how Peanut’s parents found out, as the DEC didn’t notify them first.
The DEC released a statement saying, The DEC released a statement saying, “The Chemung County Department of Health and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) are coordinating to ensure the protection of public health related to the illegal possession of wild animals that have the potential to carry the rabies virus.”
@peanut_the_squirrel12 RIP MY BEST FRIEND. Thank you for the best 7 years of my life. Thank you for bringing so much joy to us and the world. I’m sorry I failed you but thank you for everything Yall we desperately need your help. Help us raise the money to fight this and help @pnuts_freedom_farm continue to help animals like peanut
♬ original sound – Peanut_the_squirrel12
It continued, “On Oct. 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 animals are being tested for rabies and anyone who has been in contact with these animals is strongly encouraged to consult their physician.”
@peanut_the_squirrel12 Thank you for the best years of my life #fyp #tiktok #fypp #foryou #foryoupage #foryourpage ♬ If I Would Have Known – Kyle Hume
This story is still developing, with Longo seeking legal action against the DEC and the raid they undertook.
@peanut_the_squirrel12 I love you mouse#fyp ♬ If I Would Have Known – Kyle Hume
If you’d like to voice your support, Peanut’s dad has started a change.org petition calling for justice and reforming the New York DEC that’s collected over 50k signatures so far. To help with their legal fees, they’ have a’ve set up a gofundme that’s already raised over $130k of their $200k goal. With Peanut the main source of raising awareness and donations, they’re also hoping new fans can still follow them at @peanut_the_squirrel12 on Instagram and TikTok. You can also follow their animal sanctuary on Instagram at @pnuts_freedom_farm.
Since the sad news broke, memes, art, and other tributes to Peanut and Fred are spreading across social media.
And many people online are comparing it to the tragic killing of the Harambe the Gorilla in 2016.