Vick Asks Google To Drop Android Dog-Fighting App

Michael Vick, the star quarterback for the Philadelphia Eagles, has joined up with the Humane Society by urging Google to drop a dog fighting app, by the name of Dog Wars from its Android marketplace. The game allows its players to pick dogs and breed them for fights against other canines.

Vick was sentenced to two years in prison after he was found guilty of hosting dog fighting events in 2007. Having redeemed himself in the eyes of the law as well as many football fans, Vick has been speaking out against anything that promotes dogfighting.

I've come to learn the hard way that dogfighting is a dead-end street. Now, I am on the right side of this issue, and I think it's important to send the smart message to kids, and not glorify this form of animal cruelty, even in an Android app, Vick said in a statement.

Dog Wars is developed by a company by the name of Kage Games. In an online statement, the company said, Just because something is illegal in real life in certain countries, does not mean it is illegal to make a song, movie, or video game about it.

The Humane Society has gone to great lengths in the past year to educate the public on dog fighting. Wayne Pacelle, president and CEO of The Human Society, has written a book on the topic called, The Bond: Our Kinship with Animals, Our Call to Defend Them.

Android should drop 'Dog Wars' from its online market and join the national movement to save dogs from this violent practice. Because Dog Wars actually instructs players on how to condition a dog using methods that are standard in organized dogfighting, this game may be a virtual training ground for would-be dogfighters. Its timing and message are all wrong, Pacelle said in a statement.

Google did not respond to an inquiry for comment. The game is not available for the iOS or Windows Phone 7 operating systems.