A defiant Kristi Noem responded to critics following outrage over her upcoming memoir revealing she once killed a dog.
“I can understand why some people are upset about a 20-year-old story about Cricket, one of the working dogs on our ranch, in my upcoming book, No Going Back. The book is filled with many honest stories from my life, good days and bad days, challenges, painful decisions and lessons learned,” South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem began in a social media post published Sunday on X.
“The fact is that South Dakota law states that dogs that attack and kill livestock can be euthanized. Since Cricket had shown aggressive behavior toward people by biting them, I decided what I did,” Noem continued.
Outrage spread across social media platforms late last week after The Guardian reported on an excerpt from Noem’s upcoming memoir, “No Going Back,” which will be published on May 7. The excerpt details Noem describing how he took his 14-month-old daughter. his dog Cricket to a “gravel pit” near his farm and shot him because he was “worthless,” “untrainable,” and had killed and eaten several chickens.
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He explained that Cricket had ruined a pheasant hunt when she “went crazy with excitement, chasing all those birds and having the time of her life.”
“It wasn’t a pleasant job, but it had to be done. And when it was over, I realized there was another unpleasant job to do,” he continued. In the book, Noem also described killing a “nasty, mean” goat in the same gravel pit, according to the report.
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The report drew criticism online from both Democrats and conservatives, who appeared shocked and outraged by the dog’s killing.
South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem participates in a roundtable discussion on November 15, 2022 in Orlando, Florida. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack, File)
“My God, my blood is boiling now. Remember, I’m a country boy living on a ranch. There’s a big difference between euthanizing an old horse that’s suffering than shooting an 18-month-old dog for being untrainable. But then cover your book at the end,” X’s popular conservative account Catturd tweeted.
“Seriously, is it just me? [I’m[sic] “I have no words,” he added.
New York Post columnist Miranda Devine commented: “No. It’s not normal. It’s embarrassing.”
“Anyone who’s ever had a bird dog knows how disgusting, lazy and evil they are. Damn,” said Montana’s Democratic gubernatorial candidate. Ryan Busse published.
Noem has been floated as a possible running mate in former President Trump’s effort to regain control of the White House in November. Critics, however, speculated that the controversy over killing his dog could have ended his career in politics.
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Noem initially addressed the controversy on Friday, posting on X that her family loves animals, “but difficult decisions are often made” on farms.
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Governor Kristi Noem takes the stage at a campaign rally on November 2, 2022 in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. (AP Photo/Stephen Groves)
“We love animals, but difficult decisions like this happen all the time on a farm. Unfortunately, a few weeks ago we had to put down 3 horses that had been in our family for 25 years,” she posted, while encouraging people to buy hers. memoir for “real, honest, politically incorrect stories that will blow the media’s mind.”
On Sunday, Noem said she doesn’t shy away from tough decisions and believes “people are looking for leaders who are authentic.”
“What I have 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 who do not shy away from difficult challenges. My hope is that anyone “This book will help you understand that I always work to make the best decisions I can for the people in my life,” he said.
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“Whether running the ranch or in politics, I have never transferred my responsibilities to anyone else to handle. Even if it is difficult and painful. I followed the law and was a responsible father, dog owner and neighbor. As I explained in the book, it was not easy. But often the easy way is not the right one,” he concluded.
