Instagram-famous squirrel Peanut euthanized after it was taken from owner's New York state home

MicroWave@lemmy.world to News@lemmy.world – 416 points –
Instagram-famous squirrel Peanut euthanized after it was taken from owner's New York state home
nbcnews.com

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.

183

You are viewing a single comment

Idgaf about rabies

Now that's a take I wasn't expecting to see.

Look, there has been a confirmed total of 125 cases from 1960-2018. That’s literally nothing. Of those 70% were bats. Rabies is scary, but it is not common and the level of fear and cruelty surrounding it is unwarranted, ESPECIALLY in this case. Source: https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/68/wr/mm6823e1.htm Edit: Misquoted figure, the 38% of international were dog bites, not national

You can take home a new animal every day at this rate, and still be more likely to die on your way home from work. It doesn’t mean don’t get your animals vaccinated, it doesn’t mean don’t be vigilant. It does mean don’t fucking kill peoples fucking pets.

The stupid law that makes him unable to legally keep the squirrel is preventing him from taking it to a vet to be vaccinated.

The rate of rabies used to be a lot higher. Why do you think the cases have reduced so much?

Was your point that it’s cause…what? We started outlawing pet squirrels? That’s such a weird stance