Fans of the FOX sitcom "Family Guy" were outraged after Brian the dog was killed on Sunday night's episode. "NO NO NO NO !!!!! I AM NOT AMUSED AT ALL!!!" one person wrote on Twitter. "I AM NOT OK WITH THIS FAMILY GUY DEATH. NOT OK!!!" added another. (#BringBrianBack was trending.)

There's also a petition on Change.org asking the network and "Family Guy" creator Seth MacFarlane to bring back Brian. "Brian Griffin was an important part of our viewing experince [sic]," the petition reads. "He added a witty and sophisticated element to the show. Family Guy and Fox Broadcasting will lose viewers if Brian Griffin is not brought back to the show. … The writers of 'Family Guy' didn't just kill off one of their creations, they killed off the dog who has lived in our homes for the last 15 years. They killed the dog we all have come to love. They killed America's dog!" As of early Tuesday morning, the petition had garnered more than 25,000 supporters.

(Photo credit: FOX/Getty Images)

However, the show's staff stood behind the decision. "This was an idea that got pitched in the writers' room and it sort of caught fire, and we thought it could be a fun way to shake things up," executive producer Steve Callaghan told E! News.

Though most people wrote in comments that no death was necessary, others didn't see Brian's demise as that big a deal. What do you think?

Was it wrong to kill Brian?

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