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

Peanut, the Instagram-famous squirrel that was seized from its owner’s home Wednesday, has been euthanized by New York state officials.

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation took Peanut, as well as a raccoon named Fred, on Wednesday after the agency learned the animals were “sharing a residence with humans, creating the potential for human exposure to rabies," it said in a joint statement with the Chemung County Department of Health.

Both Peanut and Fred were euthanized to test for rabies, the statement said. It was unclear when the animals were euthanized.

    • finitebanjo@lemmy.world
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      2 months ago

      TBH this really shouldn’t radicalize you. This is what people are supposed to do when an animal bites somebody. The thing that was done incorrectly was creating a situation where an animal could bite a person.

      • piecat@lemmy.world
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        2 months ago

        They caused the animal to bite, they kinda deserve it, no?

        Besides, they probably got vaccinated for rabies regardless? That’s the only thing you can do…

        • finitebanjo@lemmy.world
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          2 months ago

          The bite is the fault of the handler and not the inspector.

          The inspector probably did get vaccinated, the animal almost certainly never has, but vaccine isn’t guaranteed to work so to know if they need to be held longer or receive an additional inoculation they need to take a sample from the animal.

      • buttfarts@lemy.lol
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        2 months ago

        Maybe the squirrel bit that guy because the squirrel knew deep down that guy was here to fuck up the squirrels life which he did by inserting himself into the situation.

        • finitebanjo@lemmy.world
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          2 months ago

          Maybe creating that squirrel’s situation was wrong and the handler could have taken steps to prevent an animal attack on the inspector, such as a pen or harness?

    • buttfarts@lemy.lol
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      2 months ago

      This would be my villain origin story when they are talking about “what drove him to commit atrocities”