Verizon has a new TV ad for the LG Dare phone that has set off a storm of complaints from animal rights groups, including the Humane Society of the U.S., PETA and the ASPCA. The ad shows a man climbing a junk-yard fence just so he can enjoy touching the screen on the cell phone. He comes face-to-face with two pit bulls whose chains come up just short of his reach. Advertising Age has a story on the controversy and the flood of blog comments and debate it’s touched off. Despite calls from the various animal-rights groups to remove the ad, Verizon says it’s sticking with it.

Here’s the ad: