Woman wrongly blamed for reporting Peanut the squirrel's death speaks out against harassment

Following the viral incident of Peanut the squirrel, a TikTok user has spoken out after mistakenly being identified as the person responsible for reporting the pet squirrel’s owner, Mark Longo, to authorities.

Longo, who cared for Peanut since rescuing the animal after a car accident, shared the devastating news on October 30 that New York’s Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) seized Peanut and another animal due to “multiple reports from the public” concerning potential rabies risk and illegal wildlife ownership. Despite Longo’s attempt to acquire a license for Peanut, the DEC ultimately euthanized the squirrel to conduct rabies testing.

As news spread, social media users incorrectly identified a woman named Monica Kessler as the person who reported Longo, confusing her with another woman, Monica Keasler, who reportedly admitted to the DEC notification in a since-private TikTok video. Facing harassment, Kessler clarified in a TikTok video, “No, I didn’t have anything to do with a squirrel... didn’t know anything about Peanut the squirrel until Saturday morning.” She continued, expressing that hateful comments and death threats were being sent her way due to the misunderstanding, saying, “It’s a very sad situation... but it wasn’t me.”

Longo, a social media personality, has since called on followers to support his cause, expressing gratitude to Peanut for “bringing joy to us and the world.” This case has highlighted ongoing scrutiny toward influencers keeping wildlife, as recent incidents of other public figures mishandling animals continue to spark controversy.