Even Sarah McLachlan Can’t Watch Those Sad ASPCA Ads

Nobody — and we mean nobody — is immune to those heartbreaking ASPCA ads. You know the ones. If you’re anything like us, you can’t even hear the opening bars to “Angel” anymore without bursting into tears like one of Pavlov’s (well-loved and cared for!) dogs. But it might make you feel better to know that you’re not alone. Even Sarah McLachlan says that the ads make her upset. McLachlan told the blog Makers that she can’t handle her own ads. “I can’t watch them! It kills me,” she said in a video. The super-successful ad was a happy accident. McLachlan had a friend at the ASPCA who asked if she would be interested in doing an ad for them. She was free that week, so she obliged and emotional history was made. “It was brutal doing those ads,” she laughed. Brutal, but for a really good cause. “It works like a hot damn!” McLachlan said. Originally aired in 2007, the ads managed to raise a staggering $30 million in just the first two years of their release. It’s the single most successful fundraising effort for the organization, coming in at over half of a year’s annual budget raised. That’s a lot of puppies who got treats. Don’t worry — we won’t be linking the video here. We wouldn’t subject anyone to the emotional upheaval that those sad eyes produce. But the ASPCA does take donations year-round. There’s always an opportunity to be an angel for an animal in need.