Mark Longo, who called Peanut the Squirrel his pet for this past seven years, described the New York's decision to seize and euthanize the wild animal turned social media star a "disgrace." "What happened today and what transpired throughout this week has been nothing short of a tragedy and a disgrace to the New York state,

A New York man who turned a rescued squirrel into a social media star called Peanut is pleading with state authorities to return his beloved pet after they seized it during a raid that also yielded a raccoon named Fred.

Peanut, who has amassed more than half a million Instagram followers, was euthanized by officials to be tested for rabies.

Fans have been in an uproar since internet sensation Peanut the squirrel was seized from his owner's home and euthanized by New York officials this week, over what they say was the unfair killing of a beloved family member.

A beloved pet squirrel named Peanut, who became a social media sensation in New York, has reportedly been seized and euthanized by the New

A man who took in an orphaned squirrel and made it a social media star says New York state’s decision to seize and euthanize the animal won't go without a response.

New York authorities seized Peanut the squirrel and Fred the raccoon from owner Mark Longo after anonymous complaints.

Mark Longo of P'Nut's Freedom Farm in New York, an animal rescue, updates the public on the seizure of Peanut by the New York Department of Environmental Conservation. Credit: @peanut_the_squirrel12 o

Peanut the Squirrel, also known as PNUT, boasts 534,000 followers on Instagram. He enjoys eating waffles, doing tricks and greeting his owner.

Peanut the Squirrel was taken from his Elmira, NY, home Wednesday by officials from the Department of Environmental Conservation, who served a warrant to Peanut’s guardians after receiving complaints of “unlawfully possessed” animals, according to the post.