Peanut, who has amassed more than half a million Instagram followers, was euthanized by officials to be tested for rabies.

A New York man who turned a rescued squirrel into a social media star called Peanut is pleading with state authorities to return his beloved pet after they seized it during a raid that also yielded a raccoon named Fred.

Peanut's owner Mark Longo told NewsNation host Chris Cuomo that he is "appalled" that New York uses resources to kill a raccoon and squirrel.