Dog Wars, Controversial Android App trains users in Dogfighting; should Google remove the app, what’s your opinion? [Poll]

by Antonio Wells Apr 26, 2011 9:35 AM – 5 Comments

Update: Dog Wars was removed but it has been renamed and back in the Android Market

Animal activist group and main stream media are in an uproar about a FRP game on the Android Market called Dog Wars, which allows users to “feed, water, train and fight” dogs. We became aware of the game when being contacted by Channel 5 News Boston for a quote. Here were our official responses:

Although we would not review an app like this on our media properties, we would enlighten users that Google always had a feature to report offensive apps on their marketplace (alternatively on the device at the bottom of every app listing in the Market there is a “Flag as inappropriate” button). If enough users find this type of app offensive Google would remove it promptly. To see the app currently has between 50,000-250,000 downloads and an overall star rating of 4.2 out 5 (859 user ratings) above average user rating shows there is some form of demand within our society that encourages this behavior; albeit ill-mannered.

–Antonio Wells, Chief Editor / Co-Founder, AndroidTapp.com

Dog Wars caters to the aggressive personality. It’s no different than Angry Birds – where the user makes birds fly into other species to kill them in order to beat the level, however, made cute and fun. Or other graphic and violent games like Call of Duty and Grand Theft Auto as the developer points out in their Market listing.

Is it right? Answer: If there were no market for apps like these – they would go away. However, the demand remains for these types of apps, and app developers are capitalizing on that.

–Vincent E. Norment, Co-Founder, AndroidTapp.com

Dogfighting is illegal in the U.S. and this game can potentially influence or allude to the practice not being a crime. The developers, Kage Games, LLC, goes on to defend their game stating they are well aware it is a crime, they do not condone dogfighting and are avid dog-lovers themselves, the game is free speech, and some profits from the game go towards dogfighting awareness to rid the practice. They even state they donate a portion of the proceeds to catastrophic human tragedies such as the Japan Tsunami relief effort.

We would like to discuss your opinion on the app, should Google pull Dog Wars? Vote below, then further express your opinion in the comments below.

[poll id="9"]

Categorised in: Apps Blog, Featured, News

5 Comments

By Jonathan on April 26, 2011 at 10:13 am:

Keep it up on the market, but require something in the app saying dogfighting is illegal and the publisher does not condone the abuse of animals

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By Carbonara on April 26, 2011 at 10:47 am:

For the sake of contrast: in the same homepage I can see a promotion for a game that puts you in the role of a cartoony mustachoed mercenary slaughtering waves of Fidel Castro clones in a series of seemingly mexican villages. Should soldiers, cubans, mexicans or soldiers feel offended for this?

Then again, one of the most popular videogame lines of the last decade stars kids catching and training animals for their use in show fights, and there’s plenty of titles giving you the chance to rip out a human heart off a living person, dismember your opponent or just plain shoot him in the face.

Is it ugly? You bet. Should it be taken away? Not a chance. As any work of fiction, it is the viewers judgement what’s into play, and a takedown would be unjustified censorship.

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By Nathan on April 26, 2011 at 12:02 pm:

Dog on Dog violence – Bad. Human on Human? Okay to go!

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By Thomas Carlton on April 26, 2011 at 1:24 pm:

This is a matter of free speech. Is dog fighting bad? Yes, it’s cruel to animals and a horrid thing. But is it illegal, or “should” it be illegal to talk about bad things? No, that’s a direct violation of free speech.

If you are going to remove this app, you have to remove any app that has references to drugs, murder, rape, violence, or anything else illegal. That’s obviously a stupid and ridiculous thing to do, this app was published in America, where free speech is a protected right. It should stay this way! If you don’t like the app, don’t download it!

I agree with Carbonara — taking this down would be unjust censorship, and completely against the right to free speech.

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By ben leverett on April 27, 2011 at 10:00 am:

I think if this app were removed, the tendency for dog fighting would go up, because

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