'Show Dogs' removes 2 scenes thought to portray sexual abuse after backlash 
 
 CLOSE The production company behind 'Show Dogs' decided to remove the scenes after parents and advocacy groups said the film sent kids the wrong message about sexual abuse. A revised version of the film hits theaters this weekend. USA TODAY 
 
 Show Dogs production company announced Tuesday that it is re-cutting the movie after parents said it showed sexual abuse. Read about that here. 
 
 Global Road Entertainment is deleting two scenes and a revised version will be available this weekend it said in a statement. 
 
 "Responding to concerns raised by moviegoers and some specific organizations, Global Road Entertainment has decided to remove two scenes from the film SHOW DOGS that some have deemed not appropriate for children. The company takes these matters very seriously and remains committed to providing quality entertainment for the intended audiences based on the film’s rating. We apologize to anybody who feels the original version of SHOW DOGS sent an inappropriate message. The revised version of the film will be available for viewing nationwide starting this weekend." 
 
 The movie stars Ludacris as the voice of Max the Rottweiler and Will Arnett as his human partner. They are undercover officers who must crack the case of a kidnapped panda by infiltrating a prestigious dog show. 
 
 One of the writers for the movie, Max Botkin, applauded the choice to re-cut the movie and made clear that he did not write any of the deleted scenes. 
 
 I'm happy and proud to say that Show Dogs is being recut based on audience concerns and in theaters this weekend in a family-safe version. I didn't write the scenes in question, only the original script which was heavily rewritten. https://t.co/eSsRSfrXAg — Max Botkin (@MaxBotkin) May 23, 2018 
 
 The offensive scenes 
 
 Parents took exception to two scenes in which Max has his testicles inspected by dog show judges. Although this is standard at a dog show, parents' problem was with the way Max was told to deal with the uncomfortable handling. 
 
 Arizona parent Terina Maldonado wrote an essay that went viral on social media on the website Macaroni Kid, saying it was similar to the way a sexual predator grooms children to go to their zen place. 
 
 She told All the Moms, "He was telling him he needs to go to his zen place and I like right away was wait...what? And when it turns into this big pivotal scene in the end and he needs to be allowed to be touched to win the competition and red flags were going up and around in my mommy head." 
 
 Statement by National Center for Sexual Exploitation 
 
 The National Center for Sexual Exploitation called for the movie to halt distribution on its website. 
 
 "Children’s movies must be held to a higher standard, and must teach children bodily autonomy, the ability to say ‘no’ and safety, not confusing messages endorsing unwanted genital touching," said Dawn Hawkins, the center's executive director. 
 
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 Read or Share this story: https://usat.ly/2IFR5Tt ||||| (CNN) A nonprofit group says a children's film about a Rottweiler police dog who tries to infiltrate the world of dog shows is sending a "troubling message that grooms children for sexual abuse," according to a statement made Tuesday. 
 
 The National Center on Sexual Exploitation (NCOSE) claims the film "Show Dogs" features scenes that normalize "unwanted genital touching to its child audience." 
 
 The scenes in question involve the film's K-9 main character Max (voiced by Chris "Ludacris" Bridges). 
 
 In the movie, Max teams up with a human FBI agent (Will Arnett) on a case involving a stolen baby panda. In order to crack the case, Max must go undercover at a dog show and learn what it takes to be a champion, a process that involves "doggie pedicures, Botox and Brazillian waxes," according to a film synopsis. 
 
 Other members of the "Show Dogs" cast include Natasha Lyonne, Stanley Tucci and Jordan Sparks. 
 
 NCOSE takes issue with what it says are "multiple scenes where a dog character must have its private parts inspected, in the course of which the dog is uncomfortable and wants to stop but is told to go to a 'zen place,'" according to a statement from the group's executive director Dawn Hawkins. 
 
 "The dog is rewarded with advancing to the final round of the dog show after passing this barrier. Disturbingly, these are similar tactics child abusers use when grooming children -- telling them to pretend they are somewhere else, and that they will get a reward for withstanding their discomfort," Hawkins said. "Children's movies must be held to a higher standard, and must teach children bodily autonomy, the ability to say 'no' and safety, not confusing messages endorsing unwanted genital touching." 
 
 Global Road Entertainment, which co-produced and co-financed the film with Riverstone Pictures, said the examinations are common practice in dog shows in a statement to CNN. 
 
 "The dog show judging in this film is depicted completely accurately as done at shows around the world; and was performed by professional and highly respected dog show judges," the statement said in part. "Global Road Entertainment and the filmmakers are saddened and apologize to any parent who feels the scene sends a message other than a comedic moment in the film, with no hidden or ulterior meaning, but respect their right to react to any piece of content." 
 
 One of film's main writers, Max Botkin, meanwhile, denies writing the scenes in question. While the film is based on his original script, Botkin claims it was "heavily rewritten by 13 other writers," 12 of which went uncredited. 
 
 Botkin says he did not participate in the rewrites and "didn't get to see the film until it was in its final stage of completion, and had zero say in creative choices the second I signed away the rights to my work." 
 
 "I absolutely condemn any suggestion or act of non-consensual touching in any form, as well as disassociation as a coping mechanism for abuse of any kind," he said in a statement. "I understand and empathize with the parents' and groups' concerns regarding the message the movie may impart." 
 
 NCOSE, an anti-pornography organization, has asked Global Road Entertainment to halt distribution of the film and recut it "so that it no longer contains such unsafe themes," it said in its statement.
– Global Road Entertainment has announced that it is re-editing the film Show Dogs to delete two scenes that parents and others said portrayed sexual abuse followed by inappropriate handling of the abuse, reports USA Today. In both scenes, a Rottweiler named Max has his testicles inspected by dog show judges, which is standard at a dog show. The parents’ main issue was with the way Max was told by another dog to handle the uncomfortable inspection by going to his “Zen place.” As one parent in Arizona wrote on the family-friendly website Macaroni Kid: “The day of the finals comes and if Max doesn’t let his private parts be touched, he may lose the competition,” Terina Maldonado wrote. “It all rests on his ability to let someone touch his private parts,” and pretend it wasn't happening. The National Center on Sexual Exploitation agreed with the parents and said in a statement that Show Dogs includes scenes that normalize "unwanted genital touching to its child audience," reports CNN, and sends a troubling message “that grooms children for sexual abuse.” Global Road Entertainment apologized for the deleted scenes in a statement to Deadline: “The company takes these matters very seriously and remains committed to providing quality entertainment for the intended audiences based on the film’s rating.” The revised version of the film will be released this weekend. In the PG-rated film, Ludacris (who voices Max) and Will Arnett, as Max’s human partner, are undercover officers who must infiltrate a dog show in order to crack the case of a kidnapped panda.