Peanut the squirrel is causing online fury after being killed by New York State

Social media users expressed outrage after American pet owner Mark Longo allegedly had his pet squirrel Peanut forcibly euthanized in New York state last week.

Longo adopted a squirrel, kept it as a pet and set up a social media account for Peanut.

His Instagram account, orzeszek_the_squirrel12, currently has over 600,000 followers and features various photos of Peanut. Some of them feature a squirrel holding a waffle and wearing a cowboy hat.

The state Department of Environmental Protection allegedly euthanized the squirrel on Wednesday after receiving complaints that the wildlife was being “kept illegally and potentially dangerous,” according to a Saturday AP report.

As the incident occurred less than a week before the US presidential election, social media users and Peanut supporters were quick to express their anger at the state and link the incident to the policies of the current US administration.

Elon Musk, CEO of SpaceX and Tesla and owner of PHOTO FILE)

Trump will ‘save the squirrels’

Billionaire X/Twitter owner Elon Musk, who has openly expressed his support for GOP candidate Donald Trump, took X to express his condolences for Peanut while noting that Trump, if elected, will “save the squirrels.”

President @realDonaldTrump will save the squirrels ️ RIP P’Nut pic.twitter.com/yoIBV0Okpd

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) November 2, 2024

Many verified and influential figures agreed with Musk’s post, including American and British social media personality Andrew Tate.

“Breaking down the door because you don’t have permission to squirrel in and murder your pet. Who benefits from this? Who benefits from this? Who did the police “save”?

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“And you wondered – Why didn’t people stand up and do something? NOW is your chance! YOU LIVE IN THIS! DO SOMETHING! VOTE!” Tate wrote.

This is the peak row. I’ll break down your door because you don’t have a squirrel license and I’ll murder my pet. Who benefits? Who benefits? Who did the police “save”? Only death, sadness and wasted money. ZERO net benefit. They are already stealing babies unless you let them…

— Andrew Tate (@Cobratate) November 2, 2024

Musk made additional posts on his X platform that included edited photos of Peanut.

“The government should not be allowed to come into your home and kill your pet! This is something screwed up,” we read in X’s Sunday post.

In addition to Peanut the squirrel, Fred’s raccoon was also reportedly confiscated and euthanized.

Jews are now MURDERING our animals. TEAR #Peanut squirrel. pic.twitter.com/UPtsqh5fQ2

— Stew Peters (@realstewpeters) November 2, 2024

In an Instagram post, Longo described Peanut as his “best friend” and wrote that he was shocked to learn the squirrel had been “taken away” to be euthanized.

Following the incident, Longo organized a fundraiser for people “who would like to donate on Peanut’s behalf,” in which funds will be sent to Longo’s animal shelter called P’Nuts Freedom Farm Animal Sanctuary.