NEW YORK (AP) – Peanut, the social media star squirrel at the center of a national furor after it was seized from its owner in upstate New York and euthanized, has tested negative for rabies, a county official said Tuesday.
The state Department of Environmental Conservation took the squirrel and a raccoon named Fred on Oct. 30 from Mark Longo’s home and animal sanctuary in rural Pine City, near the Pennsylvania border. The agency said it had received complaints that wildlife was being kept illegally and potentially unsafely, but officials have faced a barrage of criticism for the seizure. Government workers said they have since faced violent threats.
The DEC and the Chemung County officials have said the squirrel and raccoon were euthanized so they could be tested for rabies after Peanut bit a DEC worker involved in the investigation.
Chemung County Executive Chris Moss said tests on the two animals came back negative during a news conference detailing the …