Peanut, the beloved social media squirrel recently seized and euthanized by New York state officials, has tested negative for rabies, according to Chemung County officials.
The state Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) took Peanut and a raccoon named Fred from Mark Longo's Pine City sanctuary on October 30, citing complaints about illegal and unsafe wildlife keeping. The seizure quickly sparked public outcry and led to violent threats directed at government workers.
The animals were reportedly euthanized to test for rabies after Peanut bit a DEC worker. However, Chemung County Executive Chris Moss confirmed that both animals tested negative for the disease.
"When I review the entire case itself from our end, I'm satisfied with what was done," Moss stated. "Everything was done as it's supposed to be."
"Nobody was aware of the social media presence of either one of these animals," Moss added, clarifying the information would not change the protocol.
Longo, who rescued Peanut over seven years ago after witnessing its mother get hit by a car, was vocal about his disappointment. "It's no real big shocker to me...I knew the test results were going to be negative," he said, noting he had been seeking certification for Peanut as an educational animal when the state intervened.
The DEC responded by saying it was conducting an internal review of policies following the incident.
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