Pizza Hut is sorry for offering a 'free small animal' with your pizza

A Pizza Hut in Australia gained international attention Sunday when photos of a bizarre promotion at the store went viral.

A sign at the Mount Waverley store in southeast Melbourne offered a "free small animal" from a pet store with the purchase of 10 large pizzas. Social media activists were quick to express their outrage that animals were being treated like prizes, and noted that the promotion could have led to animal mistreatment. Animal rights organization Oscar's Law became involved, adding a photo of the Pizza Hut location in question to its Facebook page.

Pizza Hut was quick to release a statement that the franchise location's sign was not approved or condoned by Pizza Hut Australia, and the brand said the promotion was "thoughtless" and "inappropriate." Pizza Hut added that no animals were given away during the promotion and thanked Oscar's Law for bringing the matter to its attention. --Meghan DeMaria

The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

Join more than 350,000 subscribers and keep yourself informed with a selection of The Week’s most interesting, enlightening and entertaining stories - plus daily puzzles.

Join more than 350,000 subscribers and keep yourself informed with a selection of The Week’s most interesting, enlightening and entertaining stories - plus daily puzzles.

Sign up