GoDaddy’s Super Bowl XLIX commercial was supposed to star Buddy, a golden retriever puppy that fell off of a truck yet managed to find its way home — only to be sold online by its owner. As Adweek reports, the ad didn’t sit well with some, including 40,000-plus people who signed an online petition:
Many in the animal rescue community swiftly pointed out that dogs purchased online often come from “puppy mills,” and the hashtag #GoDaddyPuppy became a rallying point for critics.
GoDaddy CEO Blake Irving responded to the ad’s critics on Twitter this afternoon, vowing “we will not air it.”
Irving wrote a more expansive response on his company’s site, saying viewers “will still see [GoDaddy] in the Big Game this year.”
For now, GoDaddy has removed the 30-second spot from YouTube, but you can see GIFs of the commercial on For The Win, which has a statement from PETA on the matter. The commercial is also still available online: