Big Bang' Actress Attempts Patriotic July 4 Photo With Dogs, Incurs Wrath of Internet Over Major Flag Code Violation

Actress Kaley Cuoco took a virtual beating on social media after posting what she thought was a cute Independence Day photo of her three dogs. The problem? The adorable pooches were planting their rear ends on Old Glory.

The photo, which Cuoco originally posted to Instagram, was later deleted from her personal account. But comments from angered fans were re-posted on Fish Wrapper:

Why the f*** is your dog running its a**hole on the f***ing flag?!?! I get that your trying to act patriotic but this is definitely in VERY bad taste!!!

That is not a towel. I believe in the right to burn the flag in protest as long as it is in context, that’s why so many gave their lives, for freedom. But this is not that, this is simply disrespectful. That’s a flag. A symbol of what people have sacrificed.

That flag needs to be burned now.

I thought you love your country but this ain’t love if you disrespect it’s flag by keeping it down on the ground … let me remind you that lot of blood was sacrificed just to keep the flag high … If you have lil bit of respect for it you should not only remove this picture but also apologize to the people whose feeling must have got hurt.

On Tuesday, the "Big Bang Theory" star replaced the photo with a note of apology to her offended fans.

"First off, please know, I have the utmost respect for my country. I am a proud American in every sense of the word," she wrote. "The picture that was taken of my sweet dogs posing on an American flag. I sincerely apologize to anyone that has been offended by my previous post. This is no way reflects my feelings toward what the American flag represents."

The actress concluded her post by asserting, "I am a proud American, today, tomorrow, always."

The New York Daily News later reported that the photo was apparently taken by Cuoco's dog sitter while she was away celebrating the Fourth of July with her boyfriend, equestrian Karl Cook.

Two photos of Cuoco and Cook wearing flag-emblazoned attire are still on her Instagram.