Talk about a downer! A fan-favorite true-crime podcast shook its listeners to the core this Monday when its episode sponsor was Pentobarbital, the medicine they use to put dogs down.
“Speaking of women getting absolutely murdered, have you ever thought about the way you want to murder your dog when its eyes get all cloudy and it walks like its bones are made of dry pasta?” the host said as she read from the ad card. “Well then you should look into Pentobarbital. Don’t just put your dog to sleep, tuck them in with a lovely dose of Pentobarbital!”
Listeners were rightfully outraged by the ad. Many morning commutes to work turned from lighthearted to morbid as women nationwide began to remember that their dogs will die one day.
“I am all for hearing about a man getting disemboweled at 8:00 A.M. on a Tuesday,” listener Anna Combs said. “What I’m not down for? Thinking of how I am going to have to watch the life leave my dog’s eyes in six years! That’s cruel and unusual!”
The company that makes Pentobarbital stands by their choice to run ads during podcasts.
“Oh so hearing about dead bodies being recovered from under floorboards is okay but weeeee can’t talk about dying dogs?” CEO Jackie West said. “Seems like a double standard!”
The podcast hosts were mortified when they read the ad. It seemed that there was some confusion on what the product even was before they agreed to the sponsorship.
“I thought it was an antidepressant and I was like, ‘Sweet! Anyone listening to a true crime podcast could use some of these!’” host Vanessa Potter said.
“Yes, and I thought it was more of a melatonin for dogs,” other host Kathy Brownlee said. “You know when your dog is zooming through the house at midnight? Thought this was a solution to that issue.”
Though both hosts were wrong, the ad did find a few people who were interested in the product.
“I was so relieved to hear about this product!” listener Richard Fox said. “I listen to this true-crime podcast for…inspiration. Glad to know that there are other ways to get the job done outside of cyanide! Thanks, Kathy and Vanessa!”
While Kathy and Vanessa regret making listeners sad with the ad, they cannot deny that the revenue from the ad spot has helped them greatly.
“Lo and behold, there is a ton of money in animal pharmaceuticals,” Vanessa said. “Thanks to that one ad, we bought new cameras, microphones, and we were able to hire a new editor. Thanks, dead dogs!”
