Euthanization of beloved Peanut the Squirrel sparks public outcry

Audrey Folia | Head Editor

November 7, 2024

Seven years ago, dedicated animal conservationist Mark Longo saved a squirrel. Four days ago, New York’s Department of Environmental Conservation went into Longo’s house and euthanized it. 

In 2021, after Longo saved Peanut, he began posting him on social media. As Longo posted videos of their unconventional friendship, Peanut quickly became a beloved influencer. In fact, before his death, Peanut had 692,000 Instagram followers, a number that has grown since the events that transpired on November 1. 

After the Department of Environmental Conservation, or DEC, in New York heard about Peanut the Squirrel, they didn’t look upon him with the same adoration of his fans. Rather, they asserted that the possession of non-domestic animals in New York is illegal. So, they went to his house, seizing Peanut and a raccoon named Fred. According to Longo, they entered his house “as if [he] was a drug dealer” in order to take them.

Because, as referenced in the LA Department of Public Health, “no living animal will be accepted for rabies testing,” Peanut was euthanized. Longo lost what he described as his best friend. 

Junior Derek Herrmann expresses his sadness toward the event, claiming that despite it being “illegal, [he doesn’t] think he should have been euthanized.” The public consensus is that if Peanut had rabies Longo would have learned within the seven years he had him, and even if the legality of owning a squirrel is questionable, he still should not have been put down. 

Pointing out the irony in the situation, junior Ashton Anderson argues that it’s illogical “that the [DEC] killed the squirrel when they should be protecting the environment and all its inhabitants.”

Longo himself found it appalling that New York spent resources to kill a raccoon and squirrel, but can’t seem to find enough to “fix the major bridges down the street.” 

The part, however, that seems to be the most shocking of all is that the DEC did not even inform Longo of their deaths. Rather, he had to learn about the death of his so-called best friend by a news station calling to ask for a statement. 

The event has brought into light what many are describing as a misuse of funds, leading people to question why resources are being spent on killing squirrels instead of what they deem as pressing issues.