NY agencies receive bomb threats following seizure, euthanasia of Peanut the Squirrel

This story has been updated to include newly-acquired information from the New York State Police about the number of bomb threats reported by the New York Department of Environmental Conservation, in addition to the bomb threat locations.

In the days following New York's decision to euthanize Peanut the Squirrel, fans, lawmakers and folks just now learning about the social media star are growing increasingly upset. Over the past 48 hours, the government agency that seized and killed Peanut has received at least 10 bomb threats and a New York representative is proposing a new law to protect sanctuary animals.

Peanut the Squirrel, who now has more than 784,000 Instagram followers, was euthanized to test for rabies on Friday, Nov. 1, according to the the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation and Chemung County Department of Health.

The New York Department of Environmental Conservation confiscated Peanut from his home in Pine City, New York, on Wednesday, Oct. 30. The seizure occurred due to "multiple reports from the public about the potentially unsafe housing of wildlife that could carry rabies and illegal keeping of wildlife as pets," the department said in a statement. A raccoon known as Fred was also seized from Longo's home and euthanized.

10+ bomb threats in 48 hours

Though any correlation with Peanut's euthanasia has yet to be determined, more than 10 bomb threats have been reported to various New York Department of Environmental Conservation offices over the past 48 hours, the Office of Gov. Kathy Hochul told USA TODAY on Tuesday morning.

"Gov. Hochul strongly condemns these outrageous threats of violence and is grateful to the New York State Police for their work to investigate these threats and support the state workforce," a statement from her office read.

On Tuesday evening, the New York State Police confirmed that the New York Department of Environmental Conservation has reported 12 bomb threats. Executive Director of Public Information Beau Duffy confirmed these offices to be in Allegany, Bath, Buffalo, Cortlandville, Elmira, New Platz, New York City, Sherbourne, Stamford, Stony Brook, Syracuse and Tarrytown.

Duffy said all threats were deemed "non-credible" and investigations were ongoing.

Of two threats reported by Tuesday morning, the first was sent to the department office in Bath, New York, on Nov. 3. and the second was sent to the department office in New Paltz, New York, on Nov. 4. In both instances, New York State Police troopers conducted thorough searches of the buildings and found no explosive devices. Investigations into both threats are ongoing, according to New York State Police news releases.

'Peanut's Law'

In response to the New York Department of Environmental Conservation's actions, Republican New York Assemblymen Jake Blumencranz and Matt Simpson co-sponsored a new bill called, "Peanut's Law: Humane Animal Protection Act."

"What happened to Peanut was a tragedy and this heartbreaking event needs to be investigated," Blumencranz said in a video shared to social media. "As a state lawmaker and an animal advocate, this tragedy can be an agent of change for our process and system in which there is animal seizure."

The purpose of "Peanut's Law" is to ensure humane treatment to sanctuary animals and would serve as an amendment to Section 11-0511 of New York law, which deals with the possession and transportation of wildlife.

According to a news release from the Office of Jake Blumencranz, highlights of "Peanut's Law" include:

• 72-Hour Waiting Period: A 72-hour pause before euthanizing any sanctuary animal, giving sanctuary operators time to respond, arrange veterinary care and appeal
• Emergency Appeal Rights: A Department of Environmental Conservation board will evaluate appeals within 48 hours, ensuring case receives immediate attention
• Clear "Immediate Risk" Criteria: Euthanasia can only bypass the waiting period if a licensed veterinarian confirms a direct risk to public safety
• Transparent Reporting: Department of Environmental Conservation will be required to publish quarterly reports on animal seizures and release testing results within seven days, if euthanasia occurs
• Sanctuary Recognition: Animal sanctuaries are registered, tax-identified entities and their rights to due process and humane treatment will be protected

On Nov. 2, Blumencranz sent a letter to Hochul and New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Interim Commission Sean Mahar asking for their support of "Peanut's Law."

In an interview with USA TODAY on Tuesday, Blumencranz said he's been informed that Hochul is not interested in pursuing "Peanut's Law" further.

"Unfortunately, the governor's office and the individuals in the majority in the assembly do not see a problem," Blumencranz told USA TODAY on Tuesday. "They say that protocol was followed, no issues have arisen and that's just the way this process goes. My belief is the protocols need to change and at the very least, the voices of the voiceless animals that have been euthanized in this process, need to be heard."

USA TODAY contacted the Office of Gov. Kathy Hochul for a comment but did not receive a response by deadline.

Who was Peanut the Squirrel?

Peanut was a rescue squirrel who had lived under owner Mark Longo's care for seven years.

Longo first connected with Peanut when he saw the squirrel's mom get hit by a car, as reported earlier by USA TODAY, Unfortunately, the mother died, leaving Peanut an orphan. Longo was unsuccessful in finding a shelter that would take him in. Longo ended up feeding baby Peanut for about eight months before attempting to release him back into the wild.

"I released him in the backyard, and a day and a half later, I found him sitting on my porch, missing half his tail. So here I am, bawling my eyes out, like, I failed you as your human," Longo told USA TODAY in 2022. "And I kind of opened the door, he ran inside and that was the last of Peanut's wildlife career."

For the first five years, Longo, Peanut, and Longo's cat, Chloe, lived together in harmony.

Last spring, Longo established P'Nuts Freedom Farm Animal Sanctuary in Pine City. The nonprofit serves as a "haven where neglected and homeless animals receive a second chance at life," according to its website.

"We moved to a small town to start a nonprofit animal rescue called P'Nut's Freedom Farm. We understood that this internet sensation was a wave and we wanted to turn it into something great, so we moved to New York from Connecticut. We ... have rescued over 300 animals, all in the name of Peanut," Longo told NewsNation's Cuomo over the weekend. "Peanut is the center of our organization. I used his social media to gather the funding to continue to help animals."

Greta Cross is a national trending reporter at USA TODAY. Follow her on X and Instagram @gretalcross. Story idea? Email her at gcross@gannett.com.