South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem has defended the shooting of her puppy after her confession sparked a huge backlash.
Noem, a potential running mate for Donald Trump, caused a firestorm after revealing she shot the puppy, a 14-month-old named Cricket, in her upcoming book No Going Back: The Truth on What’s Wrong with Politics and How We Move America forward.
In response to the comments on Sunday, Noem said she “understands why some people are upset about a 20-year-old story about Cricket.”
The Republican continued: “The book is full of many honest stories about my life, good and bad days, challenges, painful decisions and lessons learned. What I’ve learned from my years of public service, especially leading South Dakota through COVID, is that people are looking for leaders who are authentic, willing to learn from the past, and don’t shy away from difficult challenges.
“I hope that everyone who reads this book will understand that I am always working to make the best decisions possible for the people in my life.
South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem has defended the shooting of her puppy after her confession sparked a huge backlash
“The fact is that South Dakota law states that dogs that attack and kill livestock can be put down. Since Cricket had shown aggressive behavior towards humans by biting them, I decided what I did. Whether running the ranch or working in politics, I have never handed over my responsibilities to anyone else. Even though it is difficult and painful.
“I followed the law and was a responsible parent, dog owner and neighbor. As I explained in the book, it wasn’t easy. But often the easy way is not the right way.’
Noem claimed she included the story in her book to show that she was willing to do something “hard, messy and ugly” if she had to.
The Republican writes that she took Cricket hunting with older dogs in hopes of calming the wild puppy. Instead, Cricket chased the pheasants while “having the time of her life.”
As former President Donald Trump ponders who should be his vice president, Noem has written a new book, No Going Back: The Truth on What’s Wrong with Politics and How We Move America Forward, which will be released May 7.
On the way home from the hunting trip, Noem writes that when Cricket stopped to talk to a family, she got out of her truck and attacked and killed some of the family’s chickens, then bit the governor.
Noem apologized profusely, wrote the distraught family a check for the deceased chickens and helped them dispose of the carcasses, she wrote. She wrote that Cricket “was the picture of joy” as it all unfolded.
“I hated that dog,” writes Noem, who calls her “untrainable.”
“At that moment,” she says, “I realized I had to put her to sleep.”
Noem then remembers leading Cricket to a gravel pit and shooting her dead.
That wasn’t all. Noem writes that her family also owned a “nasty and mean” male goat who smelled bad and liked to chase her children, so she decided to go ahead and kill the goat as well.
She writes that the goat survived the first shot, so she went back to the truck, got another grenade, then shot it again, killing it.
Shortly afterwards, a school bus dropped off Noem’s children. Her daughter asked, “Hey, where’s Cricket?” Noem writes.
The excerpts, first published by The Guardian, were immediately criticized on social media platforms, where many posted photos of their own pets. President Joe Biden’s re-election campaign resurfaced the story on social media, alongside a photo of Noem with Trump.
A Facebook photo shows South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem with a gun. In her upcoming book, she writes about Cricket, a 14-month-old wirehaired pointer, who shot Noem in the gravel pit on her family property just before her children came home from school.
South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem is photographed with another dog she owned, Hazel, a Vizsla
The Lincoln Project, a conservative group that opposes Trump, posted a video it called a “public service announcement” showing poorly behaved dogs and explaining that “shooting your dog in the face is not an option.”
“You kill old dogs, hurt dogs, and sick dogs humanely, not by shooting them and throwing them in a gravel pit,” wrote Rick Wilson of the Lincoln Project on this proves that it is cruelty.’
Noem previously used social media to defend himself.
“We love animals, but on a farm these kinds of difficult decisions happen all the time,” she said on X.
‘Unfortunately, a few weeks ago we had to put down three horses that had been in our family for 25 years.’
Noem claimed she included the story in her book to show that she was willing to do something “hard, messy and ugly” if she had to.
Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks with North Dakota Governor Kristi Noem during a Buckeye Values PAC Rally in Vandalia, Ohio, on March 16, 2024
She urged readers to pre-order her book if they want “more real, honest and politically INcorrect stories that the media will crave.”
Republican strategist Alice Stewart said that while some Republican voters may appreciate the story “as a testament to her daring,” it ultimately creates a distraction for Noem.
“It’s never a good thing when people think you’re abusing animals,” Stewart said. “I have a dog that I love as a child and I can’t imagine thinking about doing that, I can’t imagine doing that, and I can’t imagine writing about it in a book and tell the whole world about it.’
This isn’t the first time Noem has attracted national attention.
In 2019, she stood behind the state’s anti-meth campaign, even though it became the subject of some mockery with the slogan “Meth.” We are working on it.’ Noem said the campaign got people talking about the methamphetamine epidemic and helped some get treatment.