South Dakota Republican Gov. Kristi Noem is considered to be high on the short list of possible running mates for former President Donald Trump. But the recent revelation from a coming memoir of her shooting a 14-month-old dog years ago has many — including conservatives — up in arms.
The Republican described the dog, a wirehair pointer named Cricket, as “untrainable.” Attempts with an electronic collar failed, and taking her on a bird hunt with older dogs was a disaster.
As she returned home from the attempted hunt, Noem recalled stopping to talk to a local family. Cricket escaped from the car and killed some of the family’s chickens before the governor said she “whipped around to bite me.”
Noem said that was when she discovered that the dog was “dangerous to anyone she came in contact with.” She then took Cricket to a gravel pit and shot her.
The governor described the shooting as “not a pleasant job, but it had to be done. And after it was over, I realized another unpleasant job needed to be done.”
The Republican also had a goat which she described as “nasty and mean.” The uncastrated animal smelled “disgusting” and “loved to chase” her kids, so she took it to the same gravel pit where she put down Cricket.
I can understand why some people are upset about a 20 year old story of Cricket, one of the working dogs at our ranch, in my upcoming book — No Going Back. The book is filled with many honest stories of my life, good and bad days, challenges, painful decisions, and lessons…
— Kristi Noem (@KristiNoem) April 28, 2024
Democrats obviously pounced on these revelations from Noem’s forthcoming book, “No Going Back: The Truth on What’s Wrong with Politics and How We Move America Forward.”
Several other governors posted pictures with their pets in a manner mocking Noem.
And while this is to be expected, there was strong pushback from several Republicans. Staunch Trump supporter Laura Loomer posted on X, formerly Twitter, “She can’t be VP now. You can’t shoot your dog and then be VP.”
Independent conservative journalist Tim Pool asked, “Did she just intentionally end her career?”
The Babylon Bee, a popular conservative satire website, posted several headlines referencing the tale. One declared, “‘I’m Sorry I Have To Do This,’ Says Kristi Noem After Puppy Playfully Barks At Mailman.”
In response, Noem posted on X how hard decisions are a part of daily life on a farm. She noted that her family recently had to put down three horses that they’d had for 25 years.
