'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. 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. 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. 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. While the film is based on his original script, Botkin claims it was "heavily rewritten by 13 other writers," 12 of which went uncredited. The National Center on Sexual Exploitation (NCOSE) claims the film "Show Dogs" features scenes that normalize "unwanted genital touching to its child audience." "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.
– 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.