Former President Donald Trump greets South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem at a rally hosted by the South Dakota Republican Party on September 8 in Rapid City, SD
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Former President Donald Trump greets South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem at a rally hosted by the South Dakota Republican Party on September 8 in Rapid City, SD
Scott Olson/Getty Images
Kristi Noem, a candidate for Donald Trump’s vice president, defended herself after a story that she killed a dog on her farm drew condemnation from Democrats. Democracy and animal protection groups.
In his forthcoming memoir, South Dakota’s governor describes killing an “untrainable” family dog after a hunting trip, reported Guardsaid they had obtained a copy of the book, No going back: The truth about what’s wrong in politics and how we move America forward.
“Cricket,” a 14-month-old wirehaired pointer, was a girl with an “aggressive personality,” according to Noem. Guard.
During a pheasant hunt, the dog became “so excited that he lost his mind” and then attacked another family’s flock of chickens. And when she went to grab Cricket, Noem said, the dog bit her.
“I hate that dog,” Noem wrote in the excerpt. This dog was “dangerous to anyone she came into contact with” and “less valuable” as a hunting dog.
“I realized I had to put her down,” she wrote. The newspaper did not say when Noem said the incident occurred.
Based on GuardNoem said she included the horror story to show her political willingness to do what needs to be done, even when it is “difficult, messy and ugly.”
Animal rights groups criticized Noem for killing the dog.
Wayne Pacelle, president of Action for Animal Health, said: “There is no reasonable and justifiable reason for Noem to shoot a juvenile dog for normal puppy-like behavior.”
“Raising and caring for a dog takes patience and kindness,” he said in a statement. “Tens of millions of Americans who know and love dogs must wonder about someone who shows hatred for a female dog and kills it.”
Colleen O’Brien, senior vice president of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), denounce the governor for “letting this ferocious dog loose on chickens and then punishing him by deciding to blow his brains out himself instead of trying to train him or find a more responsible guardian.”
Democrats also criticized Noem, using it as an example of how “extreme and dangerous” Trump and his allies are.
In a statement has been shared with Hill“If you want elected officials to stop bragging about brutally killing their pets as part of their self-promotional book tour, then listen up,” the Democratic National Committee said. our owners — and vote Democratic.”
On Friday, Noem defended her decision to put the dog down.
“We love animals, but difficult decisions like this happen on the farm,” she wrote. in a post on X. “Sadly, a few weeks ago we just had to put down three horses that had been in our family for 25 years.”
