Brian Griffin could make his return to the 'Family Guy' family at no time, should the petition of the fans of the popular comedy show to resurrect the beloved talking dog pushed through.

Millions of Family Guy fans mourned on Sunday, following the death of everybody's favourite dog in the latest episode of the Fox animated comedy series. Most of these fans were annoyed by the way Griffin died, while others are still stunned the do-it-all dog is now gone.

As expected, the network and writers received tremendous amount of backlash from fans, who believed the show would never be the same again without Brian Griffin.

Petition to Resurrect America's Dog

More than 38,000 fans have already signed the petition on Change.org to bring back Griffin on the show. Family Guy's creator Seth MacFarlane, who voiced Griffin since the pilot episode in 1999, hasn't made a statement since the tragic episode titled 'The Life of Brian.'

"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," lead petitioner Aaron Thompson posted on Change.org.

Thompson pointed out the importance of Brian Griffin in the Family Guy series, insisting the dog's unexpected death would change the face of television.

"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!," said Thompson.

Replacement Coming

Brian appeared in more than 200 episodes of the Family Guy since its debut in 1999. The Griffin's talking dog is nothing but an ordinary family dog, having been portrayed as a gangster, playboy and aspiring novelist. Needless to say, Brian had been loyal to Griffin family led by crazy dad Peter Griffin, his warrior-like dad Lois, teen children Meg and Chris, and sneaky baby Stewie.

After an emotional funeral in honour of Brian, the Griffin quickly adapted a new dog named Vinny, who is voiced by the Sopranos star Tony Sirico. Vinny, who also possessed the same witty character as Brian, was introduced in the later part of Sunday's episode.