Current:Home > NewsSouth Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem stands by decision to kill dog, share it in new book -WealthMap Solutions
South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem stands by decision to kill dog, share it in new book
View
Date:2025-04-17 01:53:31
South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem – who has been considered to be a potential running mate for presumptive Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump – addressed on Sunday the recent attention on her new book where she writes about killing an unruly dog and a goat.
The Guardian obtained a copy of Noem's soon-to-be-released book, "No Going Back: The Truth on What's Wrong with Politics and How We Move American Forward." Noem is scheduled to be interviewed on "Face the Nation" next week about her upcoming book, set to be released on May 7.
In it, she tells the story of the ill-fated Cricket, a 14-month-old wirehaired pointer she was training for pheasant hunting.
She writes, according to the Guardian, that the tale was included to show her willingness to do anything "difficult, messing and ugly" if it has to be done. The backlash was swift against the Republican governor and on Sunday, she addressed the issue on social media.
"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," she wrote in a post on X, the platform formally known as Twitter. "The book is filled with many honest stories of my life, good and bad days, challenges, painful decisions, and lessons learned."
In her book, Noem writes that she took Cricket on a hunting trip with older dogs in hopes of calming down the wild puppy. Instead, Cricket chased the pheasants while "having the time of her life."
On the way home from the hunting trip, Noem writes that she stopped to talk to a family. Cricket got out of Noem's truck and attacked and killed some of the family's chickens, then bit the governor.
On Sunday, she defended her decision to kill the dog, saying that "South Dakota law states that dogs who attack and kill livestock can be put down."
"Given that Cricket had shown aggressive behavior toward people by biting them, I decided what I did," Noem wrote. "Whether running the ranch or in politics, I have never passed on my responsibilities to anyone else to handle. Even if it's hard and painful. I followed the law and was being a responsible parent, dog owner, and neighbor."
In the book, Noem also writes that her family also owned a "nasty and mean" male goat that smelled bad and liked to chase her kids. She decided to go ahead and kill the goat, too. She writes that the goat survived the first shot, so she went back to the truck, got another shell, then shot him again, killing him.
The excerpts drew immediate criticism on social media platforms, where many posted photos of their own pets. President Joe Biden's reelection campaign surfaced the story on social media alongside a photo of Noem with Trump.
It's not the first time Noem has grabbed national attention.
A month ago when she posted an infomercial-like video about cosmetic dental surgery she received out-of-state.
In a nearly five-minute video on X, she praised a team of cosmetic dentists in Texas for giving her a smile she said she can be proud of. "I love my new family at Smile Texas!" she wrote.
In 2019, she stood behind the state's anti-meth campaign even as it became the subject of some mockery for the tagline "Meth. We're on it." Noem said the campaign got people talking about the methamphetamine epidemic and helped lead some to treatment.
- In:
- Kristi Noem
- Politics
- South Dakota
- Animal Cruelty
veryGood! (54613)
Related
- Meet the volunteers risking their lives to deliver Christmas gifts to children in Haiti
- Alexander Payne makes ‘em like they used to: Fall Movie Preview
- 3 rescued from Coral Sea after multiple shark attacks damaged inflatable catamaran
- Mariners' Julio Rodríguez makes MLB home run, stolen base history
- The White House is cracking down on overdraft fees
- Dangerous heat wave hits eastern US: Latest forecast
- Cozy images of plush toys and blankets counter messaging on safe infant sleep
- Mark Meadows, 5 more defendants plead not guilty in Georgia election case
- Have Dry, Sensitive Skin? You Need To Add These Gentle Skincare Products to Your Routine
- Nobel Foundation withdraws invitation to Russia, Belarus and Iran to attend ceremonies
Ranking
- NFL Week 15 picks straight up and against spread: Bills, Lions put No. 1 seed hopes on line
- Mexican pilot dies in plane crash during gender reveal party gone wrong
- 2 adults, 2 children and dog found dead in Seattle house after fire and reported shooting; 11-year-old girl escapes
- Why Miley Cyrus Say She Didn’t Make Any Money From Her Bangerz Tour
- Tom Holland's New Venture Revealed
- First Lady Jill Biden has tested positive for COVID-19, again
- Duke upsets No. 9 Clemson, earns first win vs. top-10 team in 34 years
- Mexican pilot dies in plane crash during gender reveal party gone wrong
Recommendation
Realtor group picks top 10 housing hot spots for 2025: Did your city make the list?
What to know about acute liver failure, Steve Harwell of Smash Mouth's cause of death
An equipment outage holds up United flights, but the airline and FAA say they’re resuming
Utah special election primary offers glimpse into Republican voters’ thoughts on Trump indictments
McKinsey to pay $650 million after advising opioid maker on how to 'turbocharge' sales
Amid dispute with Spectrum, Disney urges cable viewers to switch to its Hulu+ service
The Twitter Menswear Guy is still here, he doesn't know why either
Inflation is easing and a risk of recession is fading. Why are Americans still stressed?