Photo Credit: @peanut_the_squirrel12 on Instagram

UPDATE 2 P.M. (11/1) -- The New York State Department of Conservation (DEC) issued an updated statement to WENY, saying that both the squirrel and raccoon have been euthanized to be tested for rabies. 

Here is the statement in its entirety:

Joint Statement from the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation and Chemung County Department of Health: 

The Chemung County Department of Health and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) are coordinating to ensure the protection of public health related to the illegal possession of wild animals that have the potential to carry the rabies virus. On Oct. 30, DEC seized a raccoon and squirrel sharing a residence with humans, creating the potential for human exposure to rabies. In addition, a person involved with the investigation was bitten by the squirrel. To test for rabies, both animals were euthanized. The animals are being tested for rabies and anyone who has been in contact with these animals is strongly encouraged to consult their physician. Please see About Rabies | Rabies | CDC for more information. 

PINE CITY, N.Y. (WENY) -- A squirrel named Peanut has lived with his owner Mark Longo for nearly seven years and the pair have gained millions of followers on social media. However, on Wednesday morning, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation seized Peanut from Longo's farm and his fate is unknown. Both Longo and the DEC are speaking out.

Animal lovers worldwide are banding together to try and bring Peanut home. Even going as far as to create a petition that, at the time of writing has almost 20,000 signatures. Longo says he has even had celebrities reach out to him to check on him and the status of Peanut which, is unknown at this time. Now, he is simply left searching for answers.

"To take Peanut away from my family is not only, you know, heart-wrenching, but then you take it away from the organization that solely gets its funding from social media," said Mark Longo, Peanut's owner and the owner of P'Nuts Freedom Farm and Animal Sanctuary. "That requires Peanut to get that funding, and without that, I really don't know how I'm going to be able to continue to get donations outside of that. So, you didn't just ruin my family, you ruined an organization that has saved over 300 animals in its first year."

Longo said the DEC showed up at his residence around 10:00 A.M. on Wednesday, October 30 with a search warrant. From there, they seized Peanut and a raccoon. Longo says he and his wife were helping to nurse the raccoon back to health, similar to how they helped Peanut. They were going to release the raccoon once it was healthy.

The large-scale search effort and documentation provided by the DEC caught Longo by surprise. He has tried to reach back out to officials after the fact and has been met with no response so far.

"You know, my next step is to be contacted," said Longo. "You know, [by the] DEC, the state. Nobody has reached out to me to say anything. I don't know if Peanut is alive or if they euthanized him. I don't know if he's located down the street or he's halfway across the country."

WENY News reached out to the DEC for comment and received the following statement:

"Following multiple reports from the public about the potentially unsafe housing of wildlife that could carry rabies and the illegal keeping of wildlife as pets, DEC conducted an investigation. DEC’s investigation is ongoing and additional information will be provided as it becomes available. New Yorkers who find a wild animal in need of assistance are advised to contact a DEC-licensed wildlife rehabilitator at https://dec.ny.gov/nature/wildlife-health/rehabilitators."

It is illegal in New York State to own a wild animal like a squirrel or a raccoon. Longo is aware of that fact, however, he is more concerned about how the situation was handled by officials and if P'Nuts Freedom Farm and Animal Sanctuary will still be able to operate after its namesake has been taken.

"I know the laws are the laws and the rules are the rules, but the fact of the matter is they brought eight officers here who ransacked my house for a squirrel and a raccoon and made me sit outside where I wasn't allowed to use the bathroom without a police escort," said Longo. "I thought that was a little excessive for a raccoon and a squirrel, but that might just be my opinion."

The public in the Twin Tiers and beyond are continuing the fight to try and bring Peanut home by signing the petition, calling Chemung County officials and the DEC, and spreading the word across social media.

On Thursday, Longo shared on social media that he has sought help from a legal team and plans to take action to see what can be done. A GoFundMe link is circulating to help Longo with steep legal fees as well as repair the damages to the animal sanctuary that occurred during the search.

Ultimately, Longo says he has accepted that Peanut has been taken from his family but, he hopes to cooperate with the state, find common ground with officials, and keep P'Nuts Freedom Farm and Animal Sanctuary up and running so that they can continue to take care of animals in need.

On the DEC's front, WENY News was told that more updates to Peanut and Longo's investigation will come when it is available.