"How could he be considered a wild animal" — William Shatner blasts NYSDE for euthanizing Peanut the Squirrel
The popular pet Peanut the Squirrel was recently euthanized by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, as confirmed by Mark Longo, the man who took the squirrel in. Since then, netizens have been devastated by the tragic news.
Among those who bashed the NYSDEC, was Canadian actor William Shatner. The actor shared his take on X, formerly known as Twitter. In the tweet, shared on November 4, Shatner criticized the department's decision to euthanize Peanut and wrote:
"I just heard about #PeanutTheSquirrel 😞 He was 7 years old & a pet for 7 years. How could he be considered a wild animal when all he knew was being a pet?🤷🏼 You can say that about any animal, then in the State of NY. Shame on the @NYSDEC !🙄"
According to Mark, the authorities seized the pet squirrel as well as a racoon named Fred from his residence in Pine City on October 30, 2024. The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation reportedly claimed that it's illegal to keep wildlife as pets.
The agency further said that they decided to euthanize the squirrel after it reportedly bit one of the officials.
As reported by CNN, Mark later said:
"We will make a stance on how this government and New York state utilizes their resources."
Peanut the squirrel's death has become a subject of conversation in Presidential rallies as well
While the internet is flooded with comments criticizing the DEC for their decision to euthanize both the squirrel and the racoon, JD Vance revealed Donald Trump's take on it. During a campaign in Sanford, North Carolina on Sunday, November 3, Vance claimed that the former President was "fired up" with the decision.
He added:
"The same government that doesn't care about hundreds of thousands of illegal immigrant criminals coming into our country, doesn't want us to have pets. It's the craziest thing."
Tesla CEO Elon Musk also criticized the DEC for their action. He voiced his opinion on X, by tweeting:
"The government is a mindless and heartless killing machine."
In another tweet, Musk shared a photo of Peanut with Mark Longo and wrote a caption that read:
"President @realDonaldTrump will save the squirrels 🐿️ 😢 RIP P'Nut."
The euthanasia of the squirrel which was immensely popular on social media, prompted its owner to launch a GoFundMe page and vow to take legal action. He had also started a social media trend with the hashtag "Justiceforpeanut."
Mark further accused the agency of using excessive force when they arrived at his home on October 30 for the raid, as reported by BBC. Mark had been taking care of the squirrel for about seven years and over the time Peanut had become popular on social media.
For the unversed, Mark found the squirrel in New York, when it was a baby. The squirrel's mother was allegedly hit by a vehicle when Mark decided to take it in. The squirrel had a significant presence on both Instagram as well as TikTok.
Amid the chaos, The DEC and Chemung County Health Department claimed that they decided upon the euthanasia of Peanut and Fred given the potential health risk that they could possess. Netizens, however, have been criticizing the agencies since then.