Ding-dong, the wise-cracking dog from Family Guy is officially dead, and fans are far from happy. Brian, the Griffin family's pet dog who has been on the series since its start in 1999, was finally taken down in a violent hit-and-run.

His character was subsequently replaced by another dog named Vinny, who will be voiced by "The Sopranos" actor Tony Sirico. Die hard fans were apparently so shocked that they immediately took to the Internet to set up a Change.org petition:
"Brian Griffin was an important part of our viewing experience. 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. Follow us here for updates."
Since the petition has been out, it's now gathered more than 34,000 signatures and counting. Updates for the petition are being posted on a Facebook fan page "R.I.P. Brian Griffin from Family Guy" that has risen from more than 90,000 likes Monday to 368,000 today. That's just insane.