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Peanut the pet squirrel is creating outrage on the internet after being killed by New York State

Online Niel November 4, 2024

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

Longo took the squirrel, kept it as a pet, and created a social media account for Peanut.

His Instagram account, peanut_the_squirrel12, currently has over 600k followers and features various pictures of Peanut. Some include the squirrel holding a waffle and wearing a cowboy hat.

The state Department of Environmental Conservation reportedly euthanized the squirrel Wednesday after receiving complaints that the wildlife was being “held illegally and potentially unsafe,” according to an AP report Saturday.

With the incident occurring less than a week before the US presidential election, social media users and Peanut’s supporters were quick to express their anger at the state and connect the incident to the policies of the current US administration.

Elon Musk, chief executive of SpaceX and Tesla and owner of X, formerly known as Twitter, attends the Viva Technology conference dedicated to innovation and startups at the Porte de Versailles exhibition center in Paris, France June 16, 2023. (Credit: REUTERS /GONZALO FUENTES/FILE PHOTO)

Trump ‘will save the squirrels’

Billionaire X/Twitter owner Elon Musk, who has been outspoken in his support for Republican nominee Donald Trump, took to X to express his condolences for Peanut, while noting that Trump, if elected, “will save the squirrels”.

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

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) November 2, 2024

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

“He’s kicking down your door because you didn’t have a squirrel permit and you’re killing your pet. Who’s winning? Who benefits? Who did the police ‘save’?’

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

This is top government. You kick your door down because you didn’t have a squirrel permit and kill your pet. Who’s winning? Who benefits? Who did the police “save”? Just death and sadness and wasted money. ZERO net benefit. They’re already stealing children if you don’t let them…

— Andrew Tate (@Cobratate) November 2, 2024

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

“The government should not be allowed to come into your home and kill your pet! This is messed up,” a Sunday X post said.

In addition to Peanut the squirrel, Longo’s pet Raccoon Fred was also confiscated and put down.

Jews are now killing our pets. RIP #Peanuts 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 created a fundraiser for people “who want to donate in Peanut’s name”, where the funds will go to Longo’s animal sanctuary, called P’Nuts Freedom Farm Animal Sanctuary.