South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem, a potential vice-presidential candidate for Donald Trump, has stirred significant controversy with a revelation in her new book about euthanizing her “untrainable” and “dangerous” 14-month-old wirehair pointer hunting dog, Cricket. This admission comes ahead of her book release, titled No Going Back: The Truth on What’s Wrong with Politics and How We Move America Forward, scheduled for next month. According to a report by The Guardian, which obtained an early copy, Noem’s decision was made after the dog killed a neighbor’s chickens and attacked her, as well as killing a goat on the same day.
During a recent appearance at a Trump rally in Ohio, Noem discussed her upcoming book but did not delve into its contentious details. Her response to The Guardian’s early report emphasized the tough realities of farm life, “We love animals, but tough decisions like this happen all the time on a farm. Sadly, we just had to put down 3 horses a few weeks ago that had been in our family for 25 years. If you want more real, honest, and politically INcorrect stories that’ll have the media gasping, preorder ‘No Going Back.'”
Don’t miss this! Carry faith with you everywhere with the Exclusive National Prayer Coin!
The incident with Cricket unfolded dramatically, with Noem describing the dog’s uncontrollable excitement during a hunting trip, which led to a disastrous outcome. “Cricket ruined the hunt, going out of her mind with excitement, chasing all those birds and having the time of her life,” Noem writes. The situation escalated when Cricket escaped from Noem’s truck and violently attacked a local family’s chickens, leading Noem to compensate the family and help dispose of the carcasses.
Noem’s portrayal of Cricket as a “trained assassin” and her subsequent decision to euthanize the dog underscores her view of the animal as beyond training and a danger to others. “At that moment, I realized I had to put her down,” she explained in the book, marking a decisive, yet controversial, moment in her handling of the situation.
The controversy didn’t stop with Cricket. Noem also detailed the euthanization of a goat, which initially survived her shooting attempt, leading to a second, fatal shot. This incident was witnessed by a construction crew and coincidentally, her children arriving from school, adding to the dramatic and public nature of the event.
