"It Had to Be Done": Kristi Noem, Trump's VP contender, sparks outrage after revealing she killed her dog

South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem has ignited a firestorm of criticism after recounting in her upcoming memoir how she killed her dog and a goat, drawing ire from animal-loving political figures and the public alike.

Kristi Noem faces backlash after revealing she killed her Dog

An unconventional campaign pitch. In a bid to showcase her determination to secure the role of Donald Trump's running mate, Kristi Noem, the Republican governor of South Dakota, has shared a shocking anecdote about killing her 14-month-old dog, Cricket. The controversial episode is detailed in her memoir, No Going Back: The Truth on What's Wrong with Politics and How We Move America Forward, set for release on May 7 and previewed exclusively by The Guardian.

Noem admitted to killing Cricket, a wirehaired pointer, citing the dog's "aggressive personality" and poor behavior as justification. According to the British newspaper, Noem described Cricket as "untrainable" and recounted how she took the young dog on a pheasant hunting trip with older dogs in an attempt to discipline her. However, Cricket reportedly became "overly excited," chasing birds uncontrollably and disrupting the hunt.

"It had to be done"

Noem explained that she tried using an electric collar to control Cricket, but to no avail. The dog allegedly escaped from her truck and attacked a neighbor's chickens, killing them one by one. "She grabbed one chicken at a time, crunching it to death with one bite, then dropping it to attack another," Noem wrote. She compared Cricket to a "trained assassin" who then turned on her, biting her repeatedly.

Enough was enough. After apologizing and compensating the neighbor, Noem took Cricket to a gravel pit, where she shot and killed the dog. "It wasn’t pleasant, but it had to be done," she wrote. "And once it was over, I realized another unpleasant job needed to be done." She described the incident as "difficult, messy, and ugly," but necessary—a way to demonstrate her willingness to make tough decisions, no matter how grim.

But Noem didn’t stop there. In her memoir, which blends autobiographical stories with attacks on Democrats, she also recounted killing a "mean and nasty" goat. The animal, which she described as having a "disgusting, rancid" smell, allegedly enjoyed chasing and knocking over her children. After the goat survived an initial gunshot, Noem finished the job, ending its life.

"Lazy and cruel"

The revelations quickly sparked outrage among politicians and animal lovers, many of whom took to social media to express their disgust. Rick Wilson, a Republican co-founder of the anti-Trump Lincoln Project, called Noem "deliberately cruel," stating, "She killed a puppy because she was too lazy to train a bird dog, not because it was a bad dog."

Ryan Busse, the Democratic candidate for governor of Montana, tweeted, "Anyone who has ever owned a hunting dog knows how disgusting, lazy, and evil this is. Damn her." Tommy Vietor, a former spokesperson for Barack Obama, went even further, comparing Noem to Jeffrey Dahmer, the infamous serial killer known as the "Milwaukee Cannibal."

In response to the backlash, Noem defended herself on X (formerly Twitter), sharing a screenshot of The Guardian article and adding that she had also "put down three horses" that had been in her family for 25 years. She insisted that she "loves animals" but argued that such decisions are a routine part of farm life.

In her memoir, Noem described the stories of Cricket and the goat as "the biggest understatement of the election year." She added, "I think if I were a better politician, I wouldn’t tell this story here."

A History of controversy

Noem is not the first U.S. political candidate to face criticism over animal cruelty. In 1952, Richard Nixon, then the Republican vice-presidential nominee, sparked controversy after receiving a dog, Checkers, as a political gift. In 2012, Mitt Romney, the Republican presidential candidate, was widely criticized for strapping his dog, Seamus, to the roof of the family car during a cross-country trip.

Noem's revelations have undoubtedly added fuel to the already heated political climate, raising questions about her judgment and fitness for higher office. As the 2024 election cycle heats up, her memoir and its controversial anecdotes are likely to remain a topic of intense debate.

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