Mark Longo, who called Peanut the Squirrel his pet for this past seven years, described the New York's decision to seize and euthanize the wild animal turned social media star a "disgrace." "What happened today and what transpired throughout this week has been nothing short of a tragedy and a disgrace to the New York state,

A New York man who turned a rescued squirrel into a social media star called Peanut is pleading with state authorities to return his beloved pet after they seized it during a raid that also yielded a raccoon named Fred.

A beloved pet squirrel named Peanut, who became a social media sensation in New York, has reportedly been seized and euthanized by the New

Wildlife rehabilitators can legally care for injured or sick squirrels, but the animals can't be pets in many states.

Peanut, whose name is also spelled P'Nut or PNUT, was seized by officers from the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, according to a statement his owner, Mark Longo, published on Peanut's official Instagram account on Wednesday, Oct. 30.

Peanut the Squirrel, also known as PNUT, boasts 534,000 followers on Instagram. He enjoys eating waffles, doing tricks and greeting his owner.

Peanut the Squirrel was taken from his Elmira, NY, home Wednesday by officials from the Department of Environmental Conservation, who served a warrant to Peanut’s guardians after receiving complaints of “unlawfully possessed” animals, according to the post.

It has not been announced that the bomb threats correlate with the seizure and euthanasia of Peanut the Squirrel.

Image via Instagram Peanut The Squirrel may be gone, but its owner isn't prepared to give up the fight. Mark Longo is planning to sue after the Department of Environmental Conservation took the squirrel away and euthanized it.