Philadelphia Eagles Michael Vick opposes dogfighting video game
A national newspaper reported that a new video game for Android mobile phone systems is causing an uproar. The main focus of the game is for players to train their virtual canines to fight.
Critics of the game, mostly animal lovers, are calling for Android to get rid of the game and for Google to ban such releases on their mobile device platforms. The critics include the Humane Society, the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA)
and Philadelphia Eagles star quarterback Michael Vick.
The game, entitled “Dog Wars,” was released on 8 March, 2011 with the tagline reading "Raise Your Dog to Beat the Best," reads the description on the Android Market website. Players of the game can also purchase shock collars in the game to train their virtual
dogs, a practice which has long been strongly disapproved by animal activists.
The game is a free download and the website which provides it explains the game created by Kage Games, LLC very simply, "Feed, water, train and FIGHT your virtual dog against other player's."
The president of the Humane Society of the United States, Wayne Pacelle, said that this is not just a game but instead a way to encourage cruelty to dogs and other animals. Pacelle also said that this is the first step for young people to try and pit dogs
against each other in real life dogfights.
"We want to inoculate kids against dogfighting," he said Monday. "It's horrible."
Both Vick and Pacelle issued a joint statement in the newspaper that strongly disapproves the game. Vick had spent 21 months behind bars for his role in an interstate dogfighting ring in which he funded the operation, killed the underperforming dogs and
was present during dogfights.
The statement said that the Humane Society brought the Android game to Vick’s attention, and that he has listened to many children who are at risk, and have told him about their own personal experiences with dogfighting going on in their neighbourhoods.
"This app just sends the wrong message," Vick said.
The website for Kage Games LLC was down on Monday, and attempts to get a comment from the company were unsuccessful. The company did however, release a simple statement on the “Dog Wars” website saying that it was just a video game.
"Perhaps one day we will make gerbil wars or beta fish wars for people who can't understand fantasy role play games," the website states.
Kage also said that it was their intention that a portion of profits be donated to animal rescue organizations and the reason that they made the game was to show just how ridiculous dogfighting really is.
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