It is sad but true…Brian, the dog, was hit by a car and died during Sunday night’s episode of Family Guy. Fans are outraged that they would kill off such an important character, but the executive producer, Steve Callaghan, says it was time for a change.

During an interview with E!, Callaghan explained why they chose to write off one of the main characters. “Well, 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. As soon as this idea came up, we started talking about what the next couple episodes could be and we got very excited about the way this change will affect the family dynamics and the characters.”

"You're not supposed to lose your best friend at my age. You're not suppose to lose him ever!" – Stewie #familyguy

— Family Guy (@FamilyGuyonFOX) November 25, 2013

“It seemed more in the realm of reality that a dog would get hit by a car, than if one of the kids died,” said Callaghan. “As much as we love Brian, and as much as everyone loves their pets, we felt it would be more traumatic to lose one of the kids, rather than the family pet.”

RIP Brian. #familyguy

— Family Guy (@FamilyGuyonFOX) November 25, 2013

What is even more upsetting is that the writers immediately replaced Brian with a new dog, Vinny. There should at least be some sort of mourning period, especially since Brian has been a part of every episode since the pilot aired in 1999.

Callaghan told E! that he was not concerned about backlash from fans. He believed that the fans would remain loyal to the show. However, judging by social media comments, it looks like they are extremely upset and that Family Guy may have just lost a few thousand viewers.

“I’m not, only because our fans are smart enough and have been loyal to our show for long enough, to know that they can trust us,” said Callaghan. “We always make choices that always work to the greatest benefit of the series.”

wait did Brian on family guy really die omfg

— Dillard (@dillardagriffin) November 26, 2013

Brian’s last words were, “You have given me a wonderful life…I love you.” He died in the vet’s office surrounded by his family. Such a tear jerker.

I can't believe they killed Brian on "Family Guy" I'm not here for cartoon characters getting killed….

— Charlamagne Tha God (@cthagod) November 25, 2013

Did you cry during last night’s episode? Be honest and leave your comments below.

Image via Twitter