RIP Peanut the squirrel, an internet-famous critter who has become the latest entry into the niche but expanding quiz category I have termed Unconventional Emotional Support/Educational Animals Who Have Met Unfortunate Ends.
Previous entrants to this hall of fame include Pebbles, an emotional support dwarf hamster, who got flushed down an airport toilet after her owner was told the animal couldn’t accompany her on a Spirit Airlines flight to Florida in 2018. I don’t know what sort of person decides to flush a hamster, but I imagine the former owner is working in politics now.
Then there’s WallyGator, a 5½ft-long (1.68 metres) emotional support alligator, who was something of a fixture in Philadelphia. He used to love splashing around local fountains and was once denied entry to a Phillies baseball game. Poor Wally got kidnapped when his owner took him on vacation to Georgia – reportedly by “some jerk who likes to drop alligators off into someone’s yard to terrorise them”. A real life Where’s Wally? followed and the gator was found but mistakenly dropped in a very large swamp with other reptiles of his ilk. Experts in this sort of thing say chances of Wally being found are minimal.
Now for Peanut. If you’ve been distracted by other news you might have missed the squirrely shenanigans but, in short, Peanut was rescued by Mark Longo, a New Yorker, after the animal’s mother was run over by a car seven years ago. Peanut, who often sported jaunty miniature hats, lived with Fred the raccoon and a bunch of other rescue animals, and amassed a large social media following.
Longo was apparently in the process of filing paperwork to get Peanut certified as an educational animal when authorities raided his home and euthanised both the squirrel and Fred the raccoon because they were worried about the possible spread of rabies. Peanut’s fans are now foaming at the mouth and this already surreal story has sprouted a number of improbable and increasingly alarming subplots involving OnlyFans and a community-driven cryptocurrency called PNUT. In short: we live in hell. Peanut, you are in a better place now.
Peanut's Law: A Response to the Squirrel's Death
WETM reports NYS Assemblyman Jake Blumencranz of the 15th Assembly District in Long Island has proposed “Peanut’s Law: Humane Animal Protection Act.” The law would be an amendment to the New York State Environmental Conservation Law over animal seizure rules after the popular Peanut the squirrel, also known as P’Nut or PNUT, was euthanized by DEC agents last week.
“I urge you to take immediate action by launching a thorough investigation into the handling of this case and ensuring accountability,” Blumencranz wrote in a letter to Gov. Kathy Hochul. “It is essential that we work together to safeguard both the welfare of animals and the values we hold as a compassionate society.”
The Controversy's Political Impact
Peanut and Fred, a rescued raccoon, were both confiscated from Mark Longo’s home and animal sanctuary in the Southern Tier hamlet Pine City on Wednesday. The DEC and the Chemung County Health Department said both animals were put down for rabies testing after Peanut allegedly bit someone during an investigation over complaints that wildlife was allegedly being kept illegally and potentially unsafely.
In New York State, it is illegal to house animals considered wildlife without a special permit; Mr. Longo has said he was in the process of applying for one. Longo said he was working to get Peanut certified as an education animal.
“Honestly, this still kind of feels surreal, that the state that I live in actually targeted me and took two of the most beloved animals on this planet away, didn’t even quarantine them. They took them from my house and just killed them,” he told the Associated Press on Saturday.
According to WETM, the law proposed by Blumencranz would amend Section 11-0512 of New York’s Environmental Conservation Law to ensure humane treatment and due process of sanctuary animals, including a mandatory 72-hour waiting period before euthanizing any sanctuary animals. It would also create a dedicated DEC review board of experts for emergency appeals of cases and recognize animal sanctuaries like
Republicans, including Blumencranz and Reps. Marc J. Molinaro and Marjorie Taylor Greene, have used it to accuse Democrats of government overreach. GOP vice presidential candidate JD Vance said at a North Carolina rally Sunday that former President Donald Trump is even “fired up about P’Nut the squirrel.”
“RIP Peanut,” the Trump campaign’s official TikTok account said on Sunday. “Needlessly murdered by Democrat bureaucrats in New York... We will avenge you on Tuesday at the ballot box.”
Hochul and Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic presidential nominee, declined requests to comment, according to the Times.
From Social Media Star to Political Symbol
Backlash has only grown as Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk spoke out over Peanut on social media and the squirrel even appeared on the cover of the New York Post Sunday. New York State Police have dealt with 10 bomb threats in the last two days targeting DEC facilities, an official told the Times.
Longo, also known as “Squirrel Daddy” on the website Only Fans, reportedly considered Peanut and Fred to be pets. Peanut, who became famous on Instagram in pictures with a little cowboy hat, had lived with them for seven years and inspired Longo and his wife, Daniela, to open an animal rescue in Chemung County called P’Nuts Freedom Farm Animal Sanctuary.
Longo told Rolling Stone that he’s previously had no issues with the DEC, but changed his tune after last week’s raid.
“I’m the first one to say that I shy away from politics, but it sparks me in the sense of, ‘This is how the government is run in New York State?’” he told the magazine. “I don’t want Peanut’s name to die in vain.”
The Squirrel That Launched a Thousand Memes
Elon Musk and Joe Rogan have both called the killing of beloved pet P’nut the Squirrel proof that America is no longer the land of the free.
Musk even suggested that outrage over the heavy-handed New York state response to the internet-famous rodent is reason enough to “mobilize” and “just go out there and vote, for P’nut.”
“How can it be that we live in America, supposedly the land of the free, and the government can barge into your home with guns?” the world’s richest man asked on Rogan’s podcast Monday.
“If you resist, you’re gonna get shot,” he said — whereas the government can “then take your pets and execute them.
“If they can do that to your pets, what do you think they can do to you?” Musk asks in the clip.
“The government comes into his house, takes his pets and kills them,” he said — asking: “How many cases have we not heard about?”
Rogan — who promoted the podcast by announcing his endorsement of former President Donald Trump — quickly agreed.
“It’s not an exaggeration,” he said, insisting it was not “crazy” to make “that connection” to a loss of freedom.
“Why would you kill that cute little squirrel that was obviously a pet and trained from the time it was a baby? If you see the interaction that guy has with that squirrel, it was wonderful. It was really cute,” Rogan said.
“What the f–k is wrong with you, why are you killing that squirrel? It doesn’t make any sense.”
The two then compared the viral squirrel’s death to the plot of the “John Wick” movies, noting that viewers root for the titular character as he seeks revenge after his dog is killed.
Musk said the case was serious enough to influence voters on Tuesday’s Election Day.
“I think this should really get people out there mobilized,” Musk said. “I hope people just go out there are vote, for P’nut man. If nothing else. Just vote.”
The Aftermath: A Cry For Justice And Crypto Craze
P’nut, a 7-year-old gray rescue squirrel, was put to sleep alongside Fred the raccoon so the animals could be tested for rabies after a controversial Department of Environmental Conservation raid of their upstate farm.
The farm houses hundreds of rescue animals, including ducks, chickens, alpacas, sheep, donkeys, pigs and rabbits — but P’nut and Fred were their household pets.
During the visit, the beloved squirrel apparently bit an investigator, prompting the need to test for rabies.
The euthanization of the rescue animals, who were beloved across social media, has sparked mass Internet outrage as a fundraiser titled “Call For Justice for Peanut the Squirrel and NYSDEC Reform” raised nearly $200,000 as of Tuesday morning.
The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation on Wednesday seized and euthanized Peanut the squirrel from the home of content creator Mark Longo, who lives and operates an animal sanctuary in Pine City, N.Y. Longo runs a Peanut the squirrel Instagram account with over 695,000 followers, which featured the animal performing tricks.
The squirrel’s death has rallied conservative forces, from Donald Trump to Republicans on the House Judiciary Committee, to Musk, who have lambasted the DEC’s actions. Over the weekend, Musk posted on X several times about the incident, calling the DEC’s intervention a form of “government overreach.”
“The government should not be allowed to barge into your house and kill your pet! That’s messed up,” Musk said in an X post Saturday. “Even if it is illegal to have a pet squirrel (which it shouldn’t be), why kill PNut instead of simply releasing him into the forest!?”
Republican vice-presidential nominee J.D. Vance said on Sunday at a rally in Sanford, N.C., that running mate Trump was “fired up” about the squirrel’s death. Republicans have previously tried to invoke sympathy for animals as a rallying cry against the government, spreading the false story that Haitian immigrants in Ohio eat dogs and cats.
“The same government that doesn’t care about hundreds of thousands of illegal immigrant criminals coming into our country, doesn’t want us to have pets,” Vance said. “It’s the craziest thing.”
Conservatives coalescing around Peanut comes days before an election with no clear predicted winner and indications that Trump is losing steam. Polling last week showed Trump eking ahead of Democratic candidate Kamala Harris, but a recent poll in Iowa now gives Harris the slight edge in the typically red state. Prediction markets historically favoring Trump to win the election have followed a similar switch and now favor Harris. Truth Social parent Trump Media and Technology Group, which is considered a barometer of his chances of reelection, plummeted 41% over three days last week, wiping out $2.4 billion of Trump’s wealth.
The squirrel’s death has also inspired the launch of Peanut-themed cryptocurrencies, including the Solana-based Peanut the Squirrel (PNUT) memecoin, which soared to a market capitalization of more than $140 million last weekend.
The state DEC took Peanut and a raccoon named Fred from Longo’s home Wednesday following complaints that the animals were being potentially kept unsafely and illegally. The DEC and Chemung County Department of Health said in a statement to CBS News the two animals were seized and euthanized in order to test for rabies. The squirrel bit one of the individuals involved in the investigation, according to the statement. The DEC did not respond to Fortune’s request for comment.
New York state laws mandate a license for those wanting to own a wild animal. Longo found Peanut seven years ago after the squirrel’s mother was hit by a car.
“Honestly, this still kind of feels surreal, that the state that I live in actually targeted me and took two of the most beloved animals on this planet away, didn’t even quarantine them,” Longo told the Associated Press. “They took them from my house and just killed them.”
The confirmation of Peanut’s death resulted in an outpouring of support for Longo and his wife, who in April 2023 founded P’Nuts Freedom Farm Animal Sanctuary in April 2023. A GoFundMe raised more than $160,000 to support the sanctuary.
Peanut's Legacy: A Call for Reform and a Symbol of Freedom
The death of Peanut has sparked a national conversation about animal rights, government overreach, and the power of social media to shape public opinion. While the legal aspects of the case remain in question, the incident has ignited a firestorm of debate, with many arguing that the authorities' actions were overly harsh and disproportionate. The controversy has brought to light the complex relationship between humans and wildlife, the potential for bureaucratic overreach, and the importance of considering the emotional impact of such decisions.
Peanut's story highlights the need for a more nuanced approach to animal control, one that considers the potential for rehabilitation, education, and humane treatment. It also serves as a stark reminder that even in the age of social media, where our lives are increasingly intertwined with the online world, the consequences of our actions can have far-reaching and unexpected impacts. The squirrel's tragic demise serves as a cautionary tale, urging us to reflect on the responsibility we hold as citizens and the importance of advocating for justice and compassion, both in the real world and in the digital realm.
