Ronald Acuna Jr.'s wife Maria Laborde heartbroken over euthanasia of Peanut the squirrel
Atlanta Braves superstar Ronald Acuna Jr.'s wife, Maria Laborde, is a model and popular social media personality. Boasting over 132,000 followers on Instagram, Laborde posts quite regularly, giving fans a sneak peek into her day-to-day life as the wife of one of MLB's finest players.
On Wednesday, Laborde shared a reel to her Instagram stories, dedicated to the recently euthanized Peanut the squirrel. Reacting to the news, she appeared to be heartbroken.
"💔" Maria Laborde captioned her Instagram story
Peanut was an eastern gray squirrel, a species native to eastern North America. Back in 2017, the rodent was rescued by Mark Longo. Eventually, the two formed a special bond, and Peanut continued to stay at Longo's home in Pine City, New York.
As the two continued to spend time together, Longo began to document his day-to-day life with Peanut, posting a number of adorable videos featuring his little best friend.
Over the years, an increasing number of social media users fell in love with Peanut, and the squirrel has over 881,000 followers on his dedicated Instagram page as of now.
Up until 2024, everything seemed to be going perfectly. However, trouble arose in paradise, as reportedly, an anonymous report led to the city of New York's Department of Environmental Conservation taking Peanut away from his home. A raccoon, named Fred, another animal that lived at Longo's residence, was also taken.
Eventually, citing a "potential risk of rabies", the two animals were euthanized by the city department.
Since the news broke, there has been an outcry of disapproval from thousands of social media users. Mark Longo posted an emotional video to Peanut's Instagram page, as he thanked the squirrel for giving him the "best seven years" of his life and mourned his loss.
Maria Laborde enjoys autumn weather with Ronald Acuna Jr.
It appears Ronald Acuna Jr. is making the most of the offseason, spending some quality time with his wife, Maria Laborde. On Sunday, Laborde took to Instagram to post a series of snaps with her husband as the couple enjoyed the fall season weather.
"Fall in love with you 🍂🍁" Laborde captioned the post
After dating for more than three years, Maria Laborde and Ronald Acuna Jr. tied the knot in August of 2023, in a private ceremony in Los Angeles. Just like Acuna Jr., Laborde also hails from Venezuela, and the couple have two sons together, named Ronald Daniel and Jamal.
For now, Ronald Acuna Jr. will be focusing on his family before refocusing on his highly anticipated return to action in the new season. Having missed almost all of the 2024 season due to a knee injury, Atlanta Braves fans will be excited to see what kind of impact the 2023 NL MVP has in the 2025 season.