South Dakota governor Kristi Noem defends shooting 'aggressive' puppy on her family's farm

South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem has defended shooting her puppy after her confession sparked massive backlash.

Noem, a potential running mate for Donald Trump, caused a storm after she revealed she shot the puppy, a 14-month-old named Cricket, in her upcoming book, No Going Back: The Truth on What’s Wrong with Politics and How We Move America Forward.

Responding to the backlash on Sunday, Noem said she 'can understand why some people are upset about a 20 year old story of Cricket.'

The Republican continued: 'The book is filled with many honest stories of my life, good and bad days, challenges, painful decisions, and lessons learned. What I learned from my years of public service, especially leading South Dakota through COVID, is people are looking for leaders who are authentic, willing to learn from the past, and don’t shy away from tough challenges. 

'My hope is anyone reading this book will have an understanding that I always work to make the best decisions I can for the people in my life. 

South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem has defended the shooting her puppy after her confession sparked massive backlash

'The fact is, 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. 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. As I explained in the book, it wasn't easy. But often the easy way isn't the right way.' 

Noem claimed she included the tale in her book to show her willingness to do anything 'difficult, messy and ugly' if it has to be done. 

The Republican 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.'

As former President Donald Trump contemplates who should become his VP, Noem has written a new book, No Going Back: The Truth on What's Wrong with Politics and How We Move America Forward , which will be released on May 7

On the way home from the hunting trip, Noem writes that when she stopped to talk to a family, Cricket got out of her truck and attacked and killed some of the family’s chickens, and then bit the governor.

Noem apologized profusely, wrote the distraught family a check for the deceased chickens, and helped them dispose of the carcasses, she writes. She wrote that Cricket 'was the picture of joy' as all that unfolded.

'I hated that dog,' Noem writes, deeming her 'untrainable.'

'At that moment,' she says, 'I realized I had to put her down.'

Noem then recalls leading Cricket to a gravel pit and shooting her dead.

That wasn’t all. Noem writes that her family also owned a 'nasty and mean' male goat that smelled bad and liked to chase her kids, so 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.

Soon thereafter, a school bus dropped off Noem’s children. Her daughter asked, 'Hey, where’s Cricket?' Noem writes.

The excerpts, first published by The Guardian, 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.

A Facebook picture shows South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem with a gun. In her forthcoming book she writes about Cricket, a 14-month-old wirehair pointer, that Noem shot at the gravel pit on her family property, moments before her children came home from school

South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem is photographed with a different dog that she owned, Hazel

The Lincoln Project, a conservative group that opposes Trump, posted a video that it called a 'public service announcement,' showing badly behaved dogs and explaining that 'shooting your dog in the face is not an option.'

'You down old dogs, hurt dogs, and sick dogs humanely, not by shooting them and tossing them in a gravel pit,' Rick Wilson of the Lincoln Project wrote on X. 'Unsporting and deliberately cruel ... but she wrote this to prove the cruelty is the point.'

Minnesota's democratic governor Tim Wals also slammed Noem over the tale, sharing a picture with his dog and writing: 'Post a picture with your dog that doesn't involve shooting them and throwing them in a gravel pit. I'll start.'

Meanwhile Paws for Animal Rescue, a pets adoption service in South Dakota, issued a statement saying no dog is untrainable.

The group said on Facebook: 'PAWS Animal Rescue will not voice our opinion on this specific situation. We would however, like to make a statement on 'untrainable dogs.

'We haven’t met one yet. In all our years in animal rescue and the thousands of animals that have come through our door, we have yet to meet a dog that was so untrainable it deserved to be shot to death.'

They added: 'Is euthanasia sometimes necessary? In certain situations, yes. When an animal is so sick that it’s quality of life is inhumane, then humane euthanasia may be the answer. 

'When an animal has been so badly damaged by people or circumstances that it has demons it cannot overcome, sometimes maybe then too. When a 14-month-old puppy (who was almost certainly bought from a breeder at 8 weeks and had every opportunity to be taught the right way to behave), absolutely not.'

Noem previously took to social media to defend herself.

'We love animals, but tough decisions like this happen all the time on a farm,' she said on X. 

'Sadly, we just had to put down 3 horses a few weeks ago that had been in our family for 25 years.'

Noem claimed she included the tale in her book to show her willingness to do anything 'difficult, messy and ugly' if it has to be done

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks to North Dakota Governor Kristi Noem during a Buckeye Values PAC Rally in Vandalia, Ohio, on March 16, 2024

She urged readers to preorder her book if they want 'more real, honest, and politically INcorrect stories that’ll have the media gasping.'

Republican strategist Alice Stewart said that while some Republican voters might appreciate the story 'as a testament to her grit,' it ultimately creates a distraction for Noem.

'It’s never a good look when people think you’re mistreating animals,' Stewart said. 'I have a dog I love like a child and I can’t imagine thinking about doing that, I can’t imagine doing that, and I can’t imagine writing about it in a book and telling all the world.'

It’s not the first time Noem has grabbed national attention.

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.