Question: why did they change brian on family guy

title: Brian Griffin
text: Brian 's death was the main focus in the season twelve episode `` Life of Brian '' . After Stewie destroys his time machine because of the risks of changing history and losing their lives , Brian and Stewie arrive home with a street hockey net they had found in a dump , where Stewie destroyed his time machine for good . As he is setting it up , Brian is struck by a reckless driver in a hit and run and later succumbs to his injuries at the veterinary clinic . Stewie is unable to rebuild the time machine as he can not acquire a new power supply . After a month of mourning the loss of their beloved pet , the family replaces Brian with a new dog , named Vinny . The death of Brian in the episode `` Life of Brian '' was met with massive opposition and anger from Family Guy fans around the world , many of whom threatened to boycott the show due to Brian 's absence . Family Guy 's official Facebook and Twitter pages were bombarded with messages and comments from fans demanding that they bring Brian back . Hostile messages were also directed towards Family Guy 's producing staff , including the show 's creator , Seth MacFarlane . MacFarlane later thanked fans `` for caring so much about the canine Griffin , he is overcome with gratitude . '' Fan petitions sprang up within hours of `` Life of Brian '' 's first airing , also receiving media attention including most prominently a Change.org petition directed towards Seth MacFarlane , making the petition one of the fastest - growing entertainment - related petitions on the site , attracting over 120,000 signatures . 

Answer: answer: Brian is struck by a reckless driver in a hit and run and later succumbs to his injuries at the veterinary clinic. After a month of mourning the loss of their beloved pet, the family replaces Brian with a new dog, named Vinny.