Two days after he was seized from his home in New York, Peanut the Squirrel has been euthanized. The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation and Chemung County Department of Health announced through a statement on Friday afternoon that both a squirrel and raccoon were confiscated from a residence on Wednesday had been euthanized to test for rabies.

Peanut the pet squirrel, who was a social media star before being seized by authorities in upstate New York, tested negative for rabies after being euthanized, a county official said Tuesday.

A New York animal sanctuary owner is grieving the loss of his beloved squirrel, Peanut, after the animal was seized and euthanized by state authorities. Despite testing negative for rabies, Peanut was put down as part of protocol following an alleged bite incident during the seizure.