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,

Mark Longo, a former Norwalk resident, raised Peanut in Connecticut before moving to upstate New York, where Peanut was seized Friday.

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.

A man who took in an orphaned squirrel and made it a social media star vowed Saturday that New York state’s decision to seize and euthanize the animal “won’t go unheard.”

Peanut the Squirrel's owner, Mark Longo, shares a tearful message on Instagram, after his pet squirrel and raccoon were euthanized by authorities. The internet-famous wildlife animals were confiscated by Department of Environmental Conservation officials,

The local sheriff’s office distanced itself Monday from the killing of an Internet-famous squirrel that has prompted furious online backlash and even bomb threats.