Amid an emotionally charged political divide in Wyoming and America where conservatives and liberals can agree on almost nothing, they’ve found common ground on one issue.
It was wrong for government agents to seize and kill a New York man’s social media star pet squirrel named Peanut.
“If government agencies don’t have anything better to do than seizing squirrels, then that just defies common sense,” one of the Wyoming Legislature’s more conservative members, Sen. Larry Hicks, R-Baggs, told Cowboy State Daily.
Outspoken animal welfare activist Madhu Anderson of Rock Springs agreed.
“It seems like a government agency was killing a man’s pet just to prove a point,” she told Cowboy State Daily.
The Grizzly 399 Of Squirrels
Peanut, or “P’Nut,” was an eastern gray squirrel that was rescued as a baby by Mark Longo in 2017, after the squirrel’s mother was run over and killed in New York City.
Longo began featuring Peanut on his social media accounts, and people loved him.
The squirrel’s adorable antics won a gigantic fanbase across the country and world, similar to that of Wyoming’s beloved Grizzly 399. Peanut’s antics are featured on his own Instagram account, which has 714,000 followers.
On Wednesday, at least a half-dozen agents from the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation raided Longo’s home in Pine City, New York, and seized Peanut, along with Longo’s pet raccoon Fred, according to Longo.
The DEC claimed that it had received numerous anonymous complaints about wildlife at Longo’s residence.
After Peanut bit a DEC agent, he and Fred were both killed so that their carcasses could be tested for rabies.
Peanut’s killing has touched off a wave of angry reactions.
Prominent conservatives and Libertarians — such as Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and J.D. Vance — publicly condemned it as an example of government overreach.
Liberals and animal rights activist called the killings of Peanut and Fred unnecessary and cruel.
The risk that Peanut had rabies was low, because the disease is rare in rodents, former Montana state veterinarian Marty Zaluski told Cowboy State Daily. Also, he had been living in Longo’s house for seven years, so wouldn’t likely have had contact with another infected animal.
Mark Longo of New York and his pet squirrel Peanut have been a social media sensation for years. Peanut had his own Instagram account with 714,000 followers. (Mark Longo via Instagram @peanut_the_squirrel12) 
Mark Longo of New York and his pet squirrel Peanut have been a social media sensation for years. Peanut had his own Instagram account with 714,000 followers. (Mark Longo via Instagram @peanut_the_squirrel12) 
Mark Longo of New York and his pet squirrel Peanut have been a social media sensation for years. Peanut had his own Instagram account with 714,000 followers. (Mark Longo via Instagram @peanut_the_squirrel12)
Memes Warriors For Peanut
Peanut’s death also set off a flood of social media reactions and memes, some highly political and others darkly humorous.
One popular meme features the image of a squirrel replacing the rattlesnake on the “Don’t Tread on Me” Gladstone flag. The flag is popular with conservatives and Libertarians as an expression of opposition to government bureaucracy.
Others featured Keanu Reeves’ famous movie franchise character John Wick, ready to deal out payback for Peanut’s killing.
In the original “John Wick” movie, Reeves’ character is a deadly assassin who is prompted to come out of retirement and wreak bloody vengeance after his dog is killed and his vintage 1969 Mustang Mach 1 is stolen.
Trust The Government?
In Wyoming, people can have squirrels as pets, but a permit from the Wyoming Game and Fish Department is required to keep them in captivity.
Hicks said he doesn’t worry about Wyoming agents raiding people’s houses over a squirrel.
“Wyoming’s laws are more balanced and based on common sense,” he said.
However, Anderson said she thinks Wyoming has “weak laws” protecting wildlife and companion animals, so she is concerned that people’s pets could be taken away.
What happened with Peanut and Fred the raccoon was “law enforcement’s excessive and unwarranted response, and misuse of taxpayer’s money,” she said.
Even so, Anderson she’s glad to see Peanut’s case generating attention and across-the-spectrum outrage about animal welfare and pet owner’s rights.
“Conservative, liberal, Democrats, Republicans — I think this is a sensitive issue, because people care about animals,” she said.
Contact Mark Heins at mark@cowboystatedaily.com
Mark Heinz can be reached at mark@cowboystatedaily.com.
