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

Based on Peanut’s Instagram account, he's clearly no ordinary squirrel. He knows how to jump with precision, wears a trendy cowboy hat, and even eats waffles.