social media star Peanutthe squirrel was recently euthanized, sparking widespread outrage against the New York Department of State and causing a wave of support for the owner Marcos Longo.

On Friday afternoon, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation and the Chemung County Health Department confirmed that both a squirrel and a raccoon, confiscated from a residence on Wednesday, had been euthanized by rage evidence. Many notable figures, including Elon Musk, Robert F. Kenny, among others, lent their support to Longo.
Why do animals need to be euthanized for rabies testing?

The New York Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) and the county health department stated that they received complaints about “potentially unsafe housing of wildlife that could transmit rabies” and the “illegal keeping of wildlife as pets.” NBC News reported that (DEC) received multiple anonymous complaints about Peanut. In a joint statement, the DEC and the Chemung County Health Department stated that they are “coordinating to ensure public health protection related to the illegal possession of wild animals that have the potential to carry the rabies virus.”
The DEC noted that it is illegal to keep young animals as pets. “Inadequate care given to young animals often results in abnormal attachment to humans. After release, some return to places where people live, only to be attacked by pets or hit by cars. Some “They become nuisances by getting into stored food, garbage cans, or homes and some may be dumped as unwanted intruders into the territory of another member of their species.”

In the wake of the recent incident, let’s take a look at why coming into contact with squirrels can be dangerous.
Although few rodents like squirrels seem to be charming, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggests that “small mammals like squirrels and other rodents should not be kept as pets.”
Squirrels often carry parasites.

Risk of bites and scratches.

Squirrels are carriers and can transmit several diseases.

(Photo courtesy: iStock)