Vegans and those sympathetic to their diet are piling signatures onto a Care2 petition asking Pizza Hut to offer vegan cheese pizzas in the US after the brand announced it would do so in the UK. The Care2 petition has gathered over 17,000 signatures.

Pizza Hut did an eight-week trial run of vegan cheese pizzas at a few select stores in the UK to see how the public would respond. The trial was so successful that the chain decided to bring vegan cheese to its entire suite of British restaurants.

“This is great news for vegans all over the UK, but leaves me, a US consumer, feeling hurt, confused and left behind,” writes Care2 petition author Miranda Becker, a San Francisco resident.

“A full 6% of all US consumers now identify as vegans, which is millions and millions of people. And so many of us — myself included — have spent years missing out on the wonderful party fast food that we remember from our pre-veggie years. I can guarantee Pizza Hut that we would all jump at this chance to rejoin the ranks of Hut-goers, if we were given the chance.”

Gareth Hopley, Head of Communications at Pizza Hut Restaurants, said after an “amazing customer response to our vegan cheese trial (in the UK) earlier this year, we’re pleased to announce that the dairy-free alternative will now be served in all of our restaurants nationwide and feature as a permanent fixture on our menus. We’re excited that all of our cheese-loving vegan customers will be able to grab a slice of the action and no longer have to miss out – we can’t wait to hear their thoughts!”

Becker believes US customers would respond positively, too.

“How many times have we had to eat salad, staring longingly at greasy stretches of crust when our friends decided to go out for a pie?” she said. “How many times have our mouths watered, remembering the fantastic flavours that we’ve been unable to enjoy after we made the vegan switch? So I beg of you, Pizza Hut: Don’t abandon your vegan American fans.”

Care2 is the world’s largest social network for good, with over 40 million standing together, starting petitions and sharing stories that inspire action.