Peanut the Squirrel’s owner is looking for answers after New York euthanized his pet
Mark Longo, who has called Peanut the Squirrel his pet for the past seven years, described New York’s decision to capture and euthanize the wild animal that turned the social media star into a “shame.”
“What happened today and what happened all this week has been a tragedy and an embarrassment to the state of New York,” Longo told NewsNation host Chris Cuomo over the weekend. “We used equipment from this country to kill squirrels and raccoons and attack my house as if I were a drug dealer. We have equipment to kill raccoons and squirrels, but we can’t fix the big bridges down the street? I’m surprised.”
On Nov. 1, Peanut the Squirrel, a social media star who now has more than 692,000 Instagram followers — reportedly gaining more followers after last week’s events — was given capacity to test for rabies, according to a statement from the New York State Department of the Environment. Conservation and Health Department of Chemung District. The statement also said that a person involved in the kidnapping investigation was bitten by a scorpion.
Two days earlier, the New York Department of Environmental Conservation confiscated Peanut from his home in Pine City, New York. The operation was prompted by “numerous reports from the public about the unsafe housing of wild animals that may carry rabies and the keeping of wild animals as pets,” according to the department. . A raccoon known as Fred was also adopted from Longo’s home and became a relative.
Over the weekend, Longo shared several posts on Peanut’s Instagram account, including interviews with news outlets, fan art tributes and old videos of his pet.
“We didn’t hear from DEC. We didn’t get a statement from DEC. We heard from another news station that they killed Peanut,” Longo told Cuomo. of NewsNation.
In response to Peanut’s seizure, a GoFundMe campaign was created. Initially, the GoFundMe served as a way for fans to help pay for the legal fees that would accrue to bring Peanut home. But over the weekend, the trainer’s focus changed to honoring Peanut, with proceeds going to P’Nuts Freedom Farm Animal Sanctuary, a non-profit dedicated to helping neglected animals. As of Monday morning, the GoFundMe had raised $162,955.
USA TODAY made efforts to reach Longo.
What is the result of Peanut’s rabies test?
Peanut’s rabies test results have not been shared. USA TODAY contacted the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation and the Chemung County Health Department for an update Monday morning but had not heard back.
According to the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), rabies test results are usually available within 24-72 hours after the animal is euthanized.
Can squirrels get rabies?
Although rare, squirrels can carry rabies and squirrels can transmit the virus to humans.
According to Critter Control, a wildlife removal service, fast squirrel saliva is highly pathogenic. After that, rabies is contracted through direct contact, either through a bite, scratch or exposure to its saliva. Common signs of a fasted squirrel include walking in circles, jumping up and down, drooling, aggression, and twitching and muscle spasms, Critter Control reports.
Why should animals be prepared for rabies testing?
According to the CDC, animals showing signs of rabies must be authorized to submit a sample to a qualified rabies laboratory for testing. This is because the diagnosis of rabies involves “a complete section of tissue from the brain and cerebellum.” There are no approved methods to diagnose rabies in animals before death.
The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation and the Chemung County Health Department advised that anyone who comes into contact with a captured squirrel or raccoon, consult a doctor.
Was exclusion an option?
Although the CDC advises that the animal be euthanized, if rabies is suspected, stray dogs, cats, and ferrets may be evaluated for 10 days if euthanasia is not an option, especially if there is a possibility of return the animal to the home.
However, when it comes to other animals, action depends on “the species, the circumstances of the bite, the rabies epidemic in the area, the animal’s life history and exposure to rabies,” according to the CDC. .
Who was Peanut the Squirrel?
Peanut was a rescue squirrel who lived under Longo’s care for seven years.
Longo first met Peanut when he saw the mother squirrel hit by a car, according to a previous USA TODAY report. Unfortunately, the mother passed away, leaving Peanut an orphan. Longo did not succeed in finding a shelter that would accept him. Longo ended up nursing baby Peanut for about eight months before trying to release him back into the wild.
“I let him out in the backyard, and a day and a half later, I found him sitting on my porch, missing half his tail. So here I am, still I cry with my eyes, as if, I have failed you as your person,” Longo. he told USA TODAY in 2022. “And I opened the door, he ran in and that was the last of Peanut’s wildlife career.”
For the first five years, Longo, Peanut and Longo’s cat, Chloe, lived together in harmony.
Last year, Longo founded P’Nuts Freedom Farm Animal Sanctuary in Pine City. The nonprofit serves as “a place where neglected and homeless animals get a second chance at life,” according to its website.
“We moved to a small town to start a non-profit animal rescue called P’Nut’s Freedom Farm. We understood that this internet perception was a wave and we wanted to change it big thing, so we moved to New York from Connecticut. We .. saved over 300 animals, all in the name of Peanut,” Longo told NewsNation’s Cuomo. “Peanut is the center of our organization. I used his social media to raise money to continue helping animals.”
Is it legal to keep squirrels as pets in New York?
The New York Department of Environmental Conservation states that it is illegal for small wild animals to be kept as pets.
“Inappropriate care given to wild animals often creates an unusual relationship with people,” says the Department of Environmental Conservation. After being released, some return to residential areas, only to be attacked by domestic animals or run over by cars. other types of their species. “
If someone finds an injured or orphaned small wild animal, the department recommends calling a wildlife specialist, “the only people authorized by law to adopt and treat distressed wild animals.” .” The goal of rehabilitators is to safely release the animal, once it is healthy, back into the wild.
Greta Cross is a national news reporter for USA TODAY. Follow her on X and Instagram @gretalcross. Story idea? Email him at gcross@gannett.com.
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