AceShowbiz -

NBC's "Animal Practice" isn't going to run for a long time. The network has decided to pull the plug on the new sitcom after airing only 7 episodes of it since it kept struggling in ratings. The series will continue to air on Wednesdays at 8/7c until the second season of "Whitney" premieres on November 14. The sophomore comedy was previously pushed back from its October 19 return date.

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), which protested against "Animal Practice", is now overjoyed with the cancellation. "PETA's staff are celebrating today in response to news that NBC's 'Animal Practice' has been canceled," the organization says in a statement.

"The cancellation of 'Animal Practice' sends the strong message that using animals for cheap laughs on TV shows is archaic and uninteresting to today's viewers, who are sophisticated enough to know that not only is putting a monkey in a lab coat not funny, it's also cruel."

PETA previously accused the freshman show of exploiting animals. The organization wrote on its website in September, "Many of the telltale signs of animal distress and anxiety can be seen throughout NBC's show. For example, the 'smile' that Crystal exhibits on the program is actually an expression that typically indicates fear or aggression in capuchin monkeys."

"Animal Practice" started it out strong when it premiered during London Olympics in August with an average of a 4.1 rating in adults 18-49 and 12.8 million viewers. When it debuted in its official time slot on September 26, the rating slipped to 1.4 with 5.2 million viewers. The number keeps dropping with the most recent episode posting a 1.0 rating in the coveted demographic.