Noem defends herself over criticism for killing dog

South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem (R) defended herself from social media criticism Sunday after sharing a story about killing her dog after hunting.

In an excerpt from her new book, Noem explains that she shot and killed Cricket, a 14-month-old wire-haired pointer, for misbehaving. The article drew massive criticism online, including viral responses from Democratic governors who mocked Nomu by sharing a photo of him with his own pet.

“I can understand why some people would be upset about the 20-year-old story of Cricket, one of the farm working dogs, that appears in my upcoming book, No Going Back,” Noem said. I have written on social media platform X on Sunday. “This book is full of honest stories about my life, the good days, the bad days, the challenges, the tough decisions, and the lessons I learned.”

Noem defended her decision to kill the dog and share her story, saying it showed voters she was “real, willing to learn from the past, and not shying away from difficult challenges.” He said there was.

“In fact, South Dakota law states that dogs that attack and kill livestock can be killed,” she wrote. “I decided on my actions in light of Cricket exhibiting aggressive behavior by biting people.”

In a story shared in her book, first reported by the Guardian, Noem wrote that the crickets drove away a pheasant during a hunting trip, ruining the hunt, and later attacking a local family’s chickens. ing.

“I hated that dog,” she wrote, adding that Cricket was untrainable, dangerous and worthless as a hunting dog.

“At that moment, I knew I had to put her down,” Noem wrote.

She then took Cricket to a gravel pit on her property and shot him. She wrote that it was “not a fun job” but that she “had to do it.”

Noem later wrote that she also killed a “mean and spiteful” male goat that liked to sniff and chase children. The first time he shot the goat, it jumped up, so it took two shots to “kill the goat.”

The criticism comes as Noem is being considered as former President Trump’s running mate. According to reports, the governor is a finalist for the vice presidential nomination.

In its response, the Democratic National Committee also condemned other comments Noem deemed extreme. defend her state’s abortion ban When asked about 10-year-old children who were forced to give birth. And she also highlighted her praise for Trump, including in September when she said she would be his running mate “soon.”