South Dakota Governor Faces Backlash for Killing Dog
WASHINGTON — Kristi Noem, the governor of South Dakota and a potential running mate for Donald Trump, is under fire for sharing a controversial story in her upcoming memoir about putting down her dog, Cricket.
In her book, titled “No Going Back: The Truth on What’s Wrong with Politics and How We Move America Forward”, Noem recounts how she deemed her dog “untrainable” and “dangerous”, leading her to make the difficult decision to shoot her.
After the story was leaked ahead of the book’s release on May 7, Noem faced criticism from various sources.
The Democratic National Committee condemned her actions, stating, “If you want elected officials who don’t brag about brutally killing their pets… vote Democrat.”
Meghan McCain, daughter of former Republican presidential candidate John McCain, also weighed in, saying, “You can recover from a lot of things in politics, change the narrative etc — but not from killing a dog.”
Defending her actions on Twitter, Noem explained that tough decisions like this are common on a farm and promised more candid stories in her book.
In the memoir, Noem details her efforts to train Cricket, a wirehaired pointer, and the events that led to her decision to put the dog down after it attacked a neighbor’s chickens.
She also shares another incident where she had to shoot a male goat that was aggressive towards her children, highlighting her willingness to tackle difficult situations in both politics and life.
Despite the backlash, Noem remains a potential vice presidential pick for Trump, having served as a congresswoman before becoming South Dakota’s first female governor in 2018. — BBC
