NASCAR driver Danica Patrick was "disappointed" when GoDaddy.com opted to pull a Super Bowl ad she was featured in after public outcry from animal rights activists.
The ad was entitled "Journey Home" and featured a lost golden retriever puppy named Buddy trying to find his way home. Buddy eventually returns to his owner, who is relieved because she had already sold the puppy online using a website she created with GoDaddy.com
The commercial was pulled after outrage from animal rights activists, and didn't air during the New England Patriots 28-24 defeat over the Seattle Seahawks.
"Thank you @animalrescuers for the candid feedback," GoDaddy CEO Blake Irving tweeted on his official Twitter account. "What should have been a fun and funny ad clearly missed the mark and we will not air it."
Patrick addressed the issue and expressed her disappointment Thursday at Daytona International Speedway as part of NASCAR Media Day.
"I was definitely disappointed I wasn't in the Super Bowl for a commercial," Patrick said via Fox Sports. "But I was in a Super Bowl commercial. It just didn't run."
Patrick also defended the spot, saying it wasn't meant to offend people.
"We thought it was a really funny, slightly left-side joke, but it really was not intentional [to offend people], she said. "Was I surprised? I don't think anything in this culture surprises me anymore. I think people have opinions about everything, especially when you get into that world of animal rights or tree rights or whatever rights. They all have an opinion."
Patrick also addressed people who believe the pulling of the ad was a publicity stunt by GoDaddy.
"GoDaddy had every intention to run that commercial and I feel like I heard from a lot of people that it was like choreographed and it was planned and stuff," said Patrick. "I think that's so funny."
Patrick is also an animal lover and said she bought her dog, Dallas, online and that the Internet is a great place to find pets.
"I love my dog and I take great care of her," Patrick said. "I was up at 1:45 in the morning taking her for a walk in the dark last night because she had to go out. She found a good home, so how bad can it really be? The Internet is a source for information. It was really hard to find a miniature Siberian Husky, but we found one."
While Patrick was disappointed with the Super Bowl ad being pulled, there's an old adage in sports: There's always next year.
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