NEW YORK (TNND) — A New York man said he is trying to get his squirrel back after authorities confiscated the wild animal from his possession following complaints.

An online petition for Mark Longo was launched on Change.org, with supporters rallying to reunite him with his beloved pet Peanut.

Longo claimed there were several anonymous complaints about Peanut – also spelled P’Nut or PNUT – and at least six officials from the state Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) searched his home on Wednesday.

He said officers took Peanut and Fred, a raccoon he had rehabilitated.

“Well, Internet, you WON. Because of your selfishness you took away one of the most amazing animals from me. To the group of people who called DEC, there is a special place in hell for you,” Longo wrote on Instagram.

Longo, who runs a peanut-inspired animal shelter called P’Nuts Freedom Farm Animal Sanctuary, said he was shocked and disgusted. He said he rescued Peanut seven years ago after seeing the squirrel’s mother fatally hit by a car.

He brought Peanut home, where he rehabilitated the animal for eight months before attempting to release the squirrel back into the wild.

“A day and a half later I found him sitting on my porch with half of his tail missing and his bone sticking out,” Longo said.

Longo concluded that Peanut didn’t have the survival skills to live in the wild and would remain a pet squirrel – and soon an Instagram star was born.

Today, Peanut has more than 530,000 followers on Instagram. To Longo, he is much more than a social media sensation.

“He’s been the center of my world and many of your worlds for so long, I don’t know how to process it emotionally,” Longo said.

Longo said he misses his little buddy and is afraid the animal has been euthanized.

“I don’t know if Peanut is still alive,” he told The Associated Press on Thursday. “I don’t know where he is.”

A DEC spokesman said in a statement that the agency launched an investigation after receiving “multiple reports from the public about the potentially unsafe housing of wild animals that could transmit rabies and the illegal keeping of wild animals as pets.”

The DEC spokesman did not respond when asked whether Peanut had been euthanized.

As of Thursday evening, the petition had collected more than 18,000 signatures.

“In the interest of Peanut’s well-being, we respectfully request that the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) reconsider their decision and return him to his family,” the petition reads. “Peanut is a treasured squirrel who was displaced from his home and we need your support to advocate for his safe return.”

The petition also noted that a GoFundMe account has been set up to help Longo with his legal fees in his fight to reclaim Peanut.

“Your donations will go directly toward these essential legal costs and help us return Peanut to the loving environment he deserves,” the petition states. “Every donation, no matter the size, makes a difference and brings us one step closer to reuniting Peanut with his home.”

Longo thanked everyone for their support and said he is focused on the return of Peanut and the other animals in his care.

The P’Nuts Freedom Farm Animal Sanctuary opened in April 2023 and is now home to about 300 animals, including horses, goats and alpacas, said Longo, who runs the shelter with his wife Daniela and other family members.

Longo understands that it is against New York State law to keep a wild animal without a license. He said he is in the process of filing paperwork to get Peanut certified as a learning animal.

As for Fred, Longo said he had only had the raccoon for a few months and was hoping to rehabilitate the injured creature and release it back into the forest.

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EDITOR’S NOTE: The Associated Press contributed to this report.