The Windsor-Essex County Humane Society in Ontario has apologized for a cat adoption ad that made light of a recently released tape of Donald Trump making sexually explicit comments about a woman over a decade ago.

The ad, promoting cat adoptions this week for $50, was taken down shortly after it appeared just before noon Wednesday.

It featured a photo of Trump and said, "You don't have to be a star to grab a pussy ... cat."

This image making light of Trump bragging in the tape appeared on the Facebook page of the Windsor-Essex County Humane Society in Ontario this week. (Windsor-Essex County Humane Society/Facebook)

Melanie Coulter, executive director of the humane society, told CBC News it was an attempt to make light of the U.S election campaign.

"We thought the U.S election is something everyone is talking about. It was intended to make light of it. It wasn't intended at all to make light of sexual assault or the comments about it," Coulter said. "It was making light of the fact this is all anyone has been talking about."

She said the shelter took in more than 100 cats in the last week and is trying to find them homes.

"We are obviously sorry if people are offended by the ad — that wasn't our attempt in the least," Coulter said. "Our attempt was to find homes for cats that need them."

The ad quickly drew criticism on social media, before it was ultimately pulled.

Facebook comments quickly sprang up after the Windsor-Essex Humane Society cat adoption ad went online. (Screen capture/Facebook)

A 2005 tape that has been the talk of the U.S. presidential race of late, and put Trump on the defensive, shows the Republican presidential nominee making crude comments about a married woman he had tried to seduce.

Trump is heard saying "did try and f--k her. She was married," referring to an unknown woman. He also used graphic terms to describe the woman's body and said he frequently tried to kiss beautiful women.

"It's like a magnet. Just kiss. I don't even wait. And when you're a star, they let you do it. You can do anything," he said. "Grab them by the pussy. You can do anything."