A popular YouTube couple played a prank on their 6-year-old daughter on April Fools' Day by telling her that they were giving away the family's pet dog — a joke that left little Everleigh in tears and many social media users biting mad.
Cole and Savannah LaBrant, along with Everleigh and her infant sister, Posie, star in a series of lifestyle videos for their YouTube channel, The LaBrant Fam. The YouTube page has more than 8 million subscribers.
In a video posted April 1 titled "We Have To Give Our Puppy Away ... Saying Goodbye Forever," the LaBrants jokingly told Everleigh that their dog, Carl, was going to have to find a new home because they could no longer keep him.
"Basically we are giving Carl away to somebody else," Savannah LaBrant says. "We feel like we can't take good enough care of him at our house."
As a sad-looking Everleigh sits on the edge of the couch clutching the tiny white puppy, her mother says they "feel bad" but think the dog will get better care elsewhere because the family is often away, and when they are at home they are busy or filming videos.
"He needs someone to take him outside more often," Savannah LaBrant says.
Everleigh is quiet as her parents explain why they can't keep Carl. When her father asks her whom she wants to give the dog to, the little girl just stares sadly at Carl.
Suddenly, Savannah LaBrant starts giggling and tells her daughter that it's a joke, exclaiming: "We're keeping Carl!"
Everleigh breaks out in tears.
The prank also wasn't taken lightly by many social media users.
"Savannah and Cole’s prank on Ev is not funny and just makes them sh*** people," one Twitter user wrote.
"I would just like to say, from the bottom of my heart- F*** Cole and Savannah Labrant and anyone who continues to support them," another user wrote. "Some people are asking me abt this so just wanted to add that this tweet is in reference to their newest video pranking everleigh however Ive had problems w these people for a long time."
"Do Cole and Savannah want Everleigh and her sister to grow up hating them? Yikes," another user posted on Twitter.
Some fans came to the couple's defense.
"My mom used to do the same kind April fools day jokes on me! And she got me every time," one person wrote on Facebook. "She will think about this one day and laugh like I do, love you guys, amazing people! Don’t take all these other comments to heart because of a joke!"
Another wrote: "Seriously everyone that is so upset about this, this little girl literally has everything a small prank isn’t going to ruin her for life. I’m sure once she gets older she will have the same sense of humor as her parents and get them back one day."
As of Tuesday afternoon, the video had been viewed more than 1.7 million times.
Savannah LaBrant did not return NBC News' request for comment, but appears to have anticipated that the video might spark some negative responses.
"If this offended any of you guys, she's OK," she says toward the end of the family's YouTube video. "She cried for two minutes, and she's the happiest kid ever now."