Peanut the squirrel, a pet that became a social media star, has been euthanized after New York state authorities seized it during a raid.

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.