Department of Environmental Conservation seized and euthanized Peanut, an Instagram-famous squirrel as part of a raid last week in Chemung County. DEC encouraged staff to work from home Monday if they felt unsafe about threats the agency has received ...

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.”

On October 30, the Department of Environmental Conservation raided Longo’s house, where he lives with his wife Daniela, to seize Peanut and Fred, his rescued raccoon. According to the agency, they had received several complaints about illegally keeping animals in an unsafe environment. Both animals were subsequently euthanized.