Sarah McLachlan: making infamous ASPCA ad was 'brutal'

WASHINGTON, Dec. 30 (UPI) -- Sarah McLachlan revealed she can't bear to watch her infamous ASPCA commercials.

The singer outlined how she came to making the call to save animals in the heart-wrenching ad to Makers, revealing she had a friend on the board of the charity.

"I was free that week," she shrugged. "I said 'yeah, I love animals, absolutely I'll do it.'"

The "In The Arms of An Angel" singer described her experience recording the TV spot as "brutal," because producers pushed her to be as sad as possible. "[They said] 'Can you just be a little more sadder, a little more this,' and I was like 'This is just killing me, OK, save the puppies," she said, feigning heartbreak.

Still, the ad was effective, she admits. About $30 million was generated as a result of the PSA.