Rebecca Manzi Unworthy and unjustified episodes that reveal the true personality of the candidate for vice president of the United States who had no qualms about killing her dog because she hated him and was undisciplined
@govkristinoem/Instagram
South Dakota Governor and potential vice-presidential candidate alongside Donald Trump, Kristi Noem, has sparked a wave of controversy across the United States with her admission of killing her 14-month-old dog. In her upcoming book titled “No Going Back: The Truth on What’s Wrong with Politics and How We Move America Forward“, Noem reveals that she personally euthanized her dog, Cricket, citing discipline issues, labeling the dog as unruly, dangerous, and worthless as a hunting dog.
She justified her decision by stating, “there was no other solution“. Cricket, a German pointer just over a year old, was put down after he “ruined” a pheasant hunting session by chasing the birds for fun and killing a neighbor’s chickens. Moreover, in her book, Noem added emphatically, “I hated him“.
This confession has drawn sharp bipartisan criticism. Meghan McCain, daughter of the late Republican Senator John McCain, commented, “There are many things one can recover from in politics, but killing a dog is not one of them”. Other commentators have harshly condemned Noem’s action, pointing out that a 14-month-old dog is still a puppy and trainable.
Bipartisan outrage
In a country where many consider their pets as family members, the idea of killing a dog for disciplinary reasons has raised concerns about the Governor’s sensitivity, especially considering her potential key role if Trump were to be re-elected.
Including this episode in her book raises questions about her suitability for such a critical position, as many voters perceive her treatment of animals as indicative of her character and morality.
The Joe Biden campaign responded to the incident by sharing photos of the President with his dog Commander—who, despite being involved in incidents with Secret Service agents leading to his relocation from the White House, was not euthanized. Vice President Kamala Harris was also pictured cuddling a dog, highlighting the contrast with Noem’s approach and emphasizing how this controversy could have political implications as well.
Noem also discusses killing a goat
But there’s more—Noem also confessed to having done the same to a male goat owned by her family, which she described as “ugly and mean” with a “disgusting” smell. She dragged it to a gravel pit, but the goat survived the gunshot aimed at it.
Noem returned to the gravel pit to finish the job, retrieving another cartridge. This chilling scene was witnessed by some farm workers, who quickly returned to their duties, visibly shaken.
These revelations have outraged animal rights activists, though Noem tried to downplay them, stating that her family loves animals but “tough decisions like these happen all the time on a farm“. And we are left to wonder whether the most influential country in the world can really be governed by such “people.”
