Peanut the Squirrel’s Owner Gets a New Puppy Who He Says ‘May Be the Reincarnated Version’ of His Famous Pet

Months after beloved squirrel Peanut died after he was seized by authorities, his owner is letting a new animal into his life.

Mark Longo, who owned the internet-famous rodent (also known as P’Nut or PNUT) until he was taken by officials in October, has adopted a puppy, he revealed in an interview with the New York Post. He had previously shared a clip of the pup on Instagram on March 3.

Two weeks ago, the influencer, 34, and his wife Daniela Bittner adopted the miniature dachshund who not only evokes Peanut’s spirit, but “may be the reincarnated version” of the squirrel, Longo said in the interview published on March 8.

The 11-week-old pup, named Howard, also gets along with the couple’s other pet, a cat, similar to the late internet star. “Just to see him run around outside and be best friends with the cat reminds me of P’Nut,” Longo told the Post.

“It’s been an emotional time for me and my family” in the wake of Peanut’s death, the social media star said, noting that he “was on the fence about getting any new personal animals because of what happened” to his late pet.

But Howard “stole” Longo’s heart, and is helping him heal, he told the Post. “He literally brought a little bit of a spark back into my life … and put a smile on my face,” the influencer said.

Howard only appeared briefly on Longo’s social media accounts, where he frequently posts old clips of Peanut, but the pup will be a “main character” in the videos moving on, he said. Despite his similarities to the squirrel, however, he will never be a replacement for the late critter, whom Longo described as his “best friend.”

“Because of the bond I had with P’Nut,” the influencer told the Post, “I will never be able to replicate that.”

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Peanut was seized on Oct. 30, 2024, by officers from the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation along with Longo’s raccoon, Fred, in October.

Two days later, Longo announced online that both pets had been euthanized. Their deaths were confirmed in a joint statement from the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) and Chemung County Department of Health.

After Peanut allegedly bit a person involved in the DEC’s seizure of the squirrel and raccoon, they were both euthanized to test for rabies, the departments said at the time.

The departments also said that the animals cohabitating with Longo at his home was “creating the potential for human exposure to rabies,” and said that the seizure was part of their efforts to “ensure the protection of public health related to the illegal possession of wild animals that have the potential to carry the rabies virus.”

Longo, meanwhile, expressed his “anguish” in a statement on Instagram at the time, writing that he is “in deep shock and grief” over the “troubling lack of respect and empathy” regarding the animals.

“Their lives were precious,” he wrote, “and we refuse to accept this loss in silence.”

Discussing their deaths in his new interview with the Post, Longo revealed that he, his family and Peanut’s fans plan to celebrate what would have been his 7th birthday on March 13. He also said he has not been able to give the animals a proper burial, because despite attempts from his lawyer, their bodies remain with authorities.

“It’s been an uneasy feeling not knowing what happened to P’Nut in his last moments on this earth,” Longo told the Post, “and to not be able to properly bury him and Fred here at the sanctuary.”