“There’s a small chance we’ll be able to bring him back home,” Mark Longo said of his beloved pet he took in seven years ago.

• On October 30, Mark Longo, the owner of social media star Peanut squirrel, shared that the animal had been seized by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation.

• Since the seizure, a fundraiser for Peanut has raised more than $7,000 to help cover legal costs to fight for the animal’s return to Longo

• Longo shared an update on the situation with Peanut’s more than 500,000 Instagram followers on November 1.

The owner of Peanut, a beloved squirrel phenomenon, gave an update on the social media star after state officials Animal confiscated in New York.

Peanut has 535,000 followers instagram and 423,000 FacebookIt was seized by New York State Department of Environmental Conservation officers, according to a statement. expression It was made by the squirrel’s owner, Mark Longo, on Peanut’s official Instagram account on Wednesday, October 30.

In a follow-up post shared on Friday, November 1, Longo thanked fans of Peanut, whose name is also spelled P’Nut or PNUT, for their support and said there was a “slight chance” he could get his pet back.

“I want to thank from the bottom of my heart everyone who came together for this,” Longo began in the video. “I haven’t received any updates on peanuts. We’re still in the same waiting phase.”

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Longo then continued, “But while we wait, we still need to focus on our non-profit animal rescue, so I can’t thank you all enough for your love and support. It’s been a terrible nightmare for me, but we still have 300 animals to care for, so keep signing the petition.” “If you can and donate if you can, it really means a lot to us.”

“Thank you for being loyal to us and my family. We love you all, please keep spreading the word and let’s get Peanuts back,” he concluded.

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“We can’t thank you all enough for your valuable support,” Longo wrote under the video. “There’s a small chance we can bring him back home so please keep signing the petition (LINK IN BIO) I’ll keep everyone updated. We LOVE you all.”

Longo’s update came a day after he gave a speech. video On October 31, he shared that he didn’t know if Peanut was “alive or not.”

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“I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for all the support you have shown me and my wife. This is an absolute tragedy and I pray we still have a chance,” he said in another post. Instagram post same day.

In an Oct. 30 post announcing that Peanut was taken from her home, Longo said she was “in shock, disbelief and disgust at the people who did this to PNUT.”

In the statement, he referred to Peanut as his “best friend” and said, “Today, at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, October 30, 2024… New York State DEC came to my home and took Peanut. He was taken to euthanasia.” last seven years.

In a statement shared with PEOPLE, the DEC said it was conducting an investigation following “numerous reports from the public about the potentially unsafe housing of wild animals that may carry rabies and the illegal keeping of wild animals as pets.”

“DEC’s investigation is ongoing and additional information will be provided as it becomes available,” the statement said.

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In addition to Peanut, the DEC also seized an injured raccoon named Fred. Associated Press. Longo had had the animal for several months and hoped to release it back into the wild.

According to the publication, Longo took Peanut in after he saw the rodent’s mother get hit by a car, and their bond inspired him. P’Nuts Freedom Farm Animal Sanctuary In April 2023.

Longo helped since Peanut was captured Create a Change.org petition and a GoFundMe campaign to raise money to help “cover the legal costs of lawyers who will assist us in repairing the damage caused and ensuring Peanut is returned to his loving home.”

At the time of publication, the fundraiser had raised more than $7,000 of its $15,000 goal.