Peanut the Squirrel, a beloved pet who was an internet sensation before it was confiscated and then killed by New York state officials, was found to be rabies-free after it was euthanized in order to be tested for the disease, according to a report, the latest twist in the ongoing saga about the much-loved critter.
The state Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) seized Peanut and a raccoon named Fred from owner Mark Longo’s home and animal sanctuary in rural Pine City, near the Pennsylvania border, late last month during a raid, saying it had received complaints that wildlife was being kept illegally. Longo, who adopted Peanut some seven years ago, has said he was working to get certified as an educational animal.
Officials said that a DEC worker involved in the investigation was bitten by the squirrel – requiring the agency to euthanize it in order to check for rabies. Longo denied the worker had been bitten and insisted that the animals were rabies free. Rabies is a viral disease of mammals usually transmitted through the bite of an infected animal.
Chemung County Executive Chris Moss said tests on the two animals came back negative during a news conference detailing the county’s role in the incident. He said the county worked with the state and followed protocols.
The New York Post reports that the State Department of Health wrote to the county on Oct. 23 outlining that “wildlife cannot be confined like domestic animals, and if there was an exposure, the animals would need to be tested for rabies.”
The message all but sealed the animals’ fates ahead of the raid, as rabies tests require euthanasia via decapitation in order to open the subjects’ heads and sample their brains.
Days later, on Oct. 29, the DEC coordinated the animals’ euthanasia with Elmira Animal Control, per the New York Post report, contradicting the agency’s previous explanation that P’Nut had prompted his own euthanasia via the bite.
Longo on Tuesday said the negative test results were no surprise and criticized the government’s actions.
“It’s no real big shocker to me, considering I lived with Peanut for seven-and-a-half years and Fred for five months. I’m not foaming at the mouth,” he said. “I knew the test results were going to be negative.”
He told the Post he was in “utter shock” when presented with the latest timeline of events.
Fox News Digital has reached out to New York’s health department and the DEC regarding the timeline.
PEANUT THE PET SQUIRREL TAKEN AWAY BY NEW YORK STATE OFFICIALS FROM ADOPTED HOME, MAY BE EUTHANIZED
Longo and his wife established the animal sanctuary, called “P’Nut’s Freedom Farm,” last year, inspired by the squirrel. Longo told his followers that he had taken the rodent in after he witnessed the squirrel’s mother being hit by a car. The squirrel refused to return to the wild and became attached to the couple.
An Instagram page dedicated to the squirrel had climbed to more than 550,000 followers and the couple uploaded their playful interactions with the rodent and other animals they care for. The page has more than 910,000 followers now.
But things took a sour turn on Oct. 30 when officials descended on their sanctuary home, the extent of which shocked Longo.
Longo said authorities went through “every cabinet, nook and cranny” of his house during the search.
“They got a search warrant. Four departments and a judge signed off on a search warrant for a squirrel and a raccoon. And then they took them and killed them,” a visibly upset Longo said.
The shocking death of animals sparked an online backlash and the story quickly went viral.
“President Trump will save the squirrels,” Elon Musk wrote with a squirrel and a crying face emoji. “RIP P’Nut.” The text was accompanied by an image of the rodent on the back of a smiling Longo.
In announcing the rodent’s death, and holding a framed drawing of the squirrel, a teary Longo told followers on an Instagram video that “Peanut was the best thing that ever happened to us.”
“RIP MY BEST FRIEND. Thank you for the best seven years of my life,” he wrote in the caption. “Thank you for bringing so much joy to us and the world. I’m sorry I failed you but thank you for everything.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
