Peanut the Squirrel, 2017 – 2024

Internet-famous squirrel Peanut, 7, was taken from his owner, Mark Longo, by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation on Oct. 30, and euthanized, to test for rabies (one of Longo’s raccoons, Fred, also met the same fate). Peanut had 532,000 Instagram followers and was the furry face of P’Nuts Freedom Farm Animal Sanctuary. Longo rescued Peanut after his mother had been killed by a car (Peanut’s, not Longo’s) and was unable to return him to the wild (the squirrel came back, the very next day). “Well internet, you WON,” Longo posted after Peanut’s death. “You took one of the most amazing animals away from me because of your selfishness. To the group of people who called DEC, there’s a special place in hell for you.”