GoDaddy pulls Super Bowl ad after uproar

Alexandra Martellaro | KSDK-TV

Show Caption Hide Caption GoDaddy's 'despicable' puppy ad pulled from Super Bowl GoDaddy has pulled a controversial ad from the Super Bowl after tens of thousands of people protested the commercial's subject matter. The ad features a puppy who is to be sold online, which animal rights advocates say promotes puppy mills.

GoDaddy has decided to pull their ad from the Super Bowl and remove it from YouTube after causing an uproar on social media.

The company released their Super Bowl ad early, and it certainly has people talking-- but they're probably not saying things the company wants to hear. Thousands took to Twitter and Facebook to let the company know they're outraged.

The commercial, titled "Journey Home," features a cute puppy that's been separated from its family on its journey home, but the ending is what's causing the uproar, when you find out the owners are happy to see the puppy because they just sold it on a website built using GoDaddy.

A change.org petition to pull the ad garnered tens of thousands of signatures in a matter of a few hours.

GoDaddy responded Tuesday evening on its website, saying:

"This morning we previewed GoDaddy's Super Bowl spot on a popular talk show, and shortly after a controversy started to swirl about Buddy, our puppy, being sold online. The responses were emotional and direct. Many people urged us not to run the ad…. The net result? We are pulling the ad from the Super Bowl. You'll still see us in the Big Game this year, and we hope it makes you laugh. Finally, rest assured, Buddy came to us from a reputable and loving breeder in California. He's now part of the GoDaddy family as our Chief Companion Officer and he's been adopted permanently by one of our longtime employees."

The ad is intended to make fun of Budweiser, which has been teasing a Super Bowl commercial featuring a puppy-- GoDaddy's spot uses many similar shots. But taken out of context, the commercial can be quite outrageous.

Some folks on Twitter, including the SPCA, voiced their opinions on the ad and the company's decision to pull it.