Controversial Dog Wars app renamed KG Dogfighting, back on sale

The controversial Dog Wars app has been renamed KG Dogfighting and is back up on the Android Marketplace.

The site says it was updated Saturday two days after the head of the Los Angeles police union urged Google to permanently pull the virtual dogfighting game app from its phone app marketplace.

In the letter sent Thursday to Google Chief Executive Officer Larry Page, Los Angeles Police Protective League President Paul M. Weber urged Google "to do the right thing and ban this game permanently."

"The game teaches users how to breed, train, fight, medicate and kill virtual dogs," Weber wrote on behalf of the union's 9,900 rank-and-file members. "The entire concept is repulsive and sickening," Weber said, noting that the app simulates dogfighting, which is a felony offense in all 50 states.

The Dog Wars app for the Android smartphone encourages players to "Raise your dog to beat the best" and allows players to train a virtual pit bull to fight other virtual dogs and build street cred that "puts money in your pocket and lets you earn more in fights."

The company's website notes that the game player has a "gun for police raids and can inject the dog with steroids."

A Google representative said the application was "removed based on a trademark infringement complaint" but did not immediately say whether the app would be sold again if those issues were resolved. Google did not immediately respond to questions about the game's renaming.

Animal welfare groups, including the Humane Society of the United States and the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, have echoed the L.A. police group's sentiments, as has Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Michael Vick, who was convicted and imprisoned for dogfighting.

Kage Games, the creators of the Dog Wars application, said in an email to The Times this week that the game was meant to educate the public on the evils of animal cruelty.

-- Andrew Blankstein

Comments

[Philly_Walker]

This disturbing game reflects a violent fact of life. The responsibility is with us to shut down actual dog fighting and not be distracted by its depiction on screen. In fact, the game has brought attention to the issue and should be commended.

Censorship will only force the issue underground, out of sight and out of mind.

Humane Society Dog Fighting Hotline: 1-877-847-4787 with a reward up to $5000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of a dogfighter.

[DeLia CA]

OMG!! This is the same game but with a new name! All they did was add "KG" (Kage Game), the initials of the creator of the game!! It's just this side of plagiarism (if Google was worried about copyright infringement). It's a virtual how-to of animal abuse/cruelty. It doesn't stop with the monitors and controllers. Time to circulate those petitions once again!!

[observer]

This game sounds like pokemon.

[Headstrong323]

Disgusting.

[Jack C NYC]

I put dog fighting supporters in the same box with pedophiles and serial killers

[Tehachapian]

One word: Sleazy!

[Rick James]

Wow, let's ban everything that offends anyone. Let's ban music that offends people, let's destroy all video games that involve a gun and shooting another person. We can make video games like grand theft auto 4 and call of duty where your main objective is to kill people, but oh noo. don't make a video game about killing a dog. that is stupid. Why do we care more about a virtual dog's life than we do about a virtual human's? either way neither are real. To the people saying this game will encourage dog fighting, does call of duty encourage people to shoot people and stab them with a knife? no, the people that do these things already had that somewhere inside of them and look for a scapegoat by blaming video games.

[Nora Dunn]

What was google thinking? Maybe the problem is they don't think, and they don't care.

[Slang]

"Weber said, noting that the app simulates dogfighting, which is a felony offense in all 50 states."

Guess we're going to have to ban Mafia Wars on Facebook and all the Grand Theft Auto games.

[Manobeer]

I guess humans killing each other in video games is ok with the police union, I dont recall them asking google to get rid of any of those games.

[edgar]

nice how the police union is anti free speech. what they did is 100000x more evil than the app itself.

[edgar]

half the video games on the planet involve murder. also half the movies. would the police union like us to ban those games and films as well.

the cops are so evil in this country.

[PrescottAuburn]

They have these games where players kill Hookers, and I hear no complaints. Even women seem in on it. One comes up with Dogs getting killed, and suddenly it is inhumane. I don't get it.

[Kathy]

If Google doesn't remove it, Google should be removed.

[g.l.p]

give him a break

[Jason Kushner formely of Old Bridge]

Now i would vote Michael Vick to be on the cover of this game not Madden 12

[Johny]

It's interesting that there's no problem with bloody 1st person shooter games, when players (virtually) kill humans (civilians, soldiers, robbers, terrorists, whatever). One could say that Half Life or CounterStrike just train people (or kids for that matter) how to use guns, how to kill, how to take hostages, how to organise an armed attack in group etc.
Where are the "Human Welfare Groups"?

[JDiva79]

Animals are helpless creatures that depend on us to care for them. They cannot defend themselves from being bred to fight. They have no say so it's up to caring human beings to defend, speak for and protect dogs from even more people becoming interested in dog fighting. It disgusting and cruel.

[DeaDGoD]

What was google thinking? Maybe the problem is they don't think, and they don't care.

Posted by: Nora Dunn | April 30, 2011 at 09:51 AM

Of course Google wasn't thinking when this game went up, Google didn't create it! Do any of you morons out there understand that Google allows users to freely upload apps to the market and that the community flags apps seen as inappropriate. Do you morons also realise the loud noises you all made about the free app has just driven up sales for the bonus packs and the re-released paid app? Do you realise the best way to silence an app like this is with silence?

[DeaDGoD]

And I'm gonna say it again, EDUCATE PEOPLE ON THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN FANTASY AND REALITY, DON'T BAN FANTASY!