Mark Longo, who called Peanut the Squirrel his pet for this past seven years, described the New York's decision to seize and euthanize the wild animal turned social media star a "disgrace." "What happened today and what transpired throughout this week has been nothing short of a tragedy and a disgrace to the New York state,

A pet squirrel that gained social media fame was euthanized by state wildlife officials as part of a test for rabies. The squirrel's owner claims excessive force was used to seize his pet earlier this week.

New York authorities seized Peanut the squirrel and Fred the raccoon from owner Mark Longo after anonymous complaints.