Stephen Colbert scolds Kristi Noem for killing Cricket the puppy: 'Bad Governor, sit!'

Stephen Colbert scolded South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem for killing her puppy, Cricket, as he lashed out at her during Monday's episode of The Late Show.

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

During the show, Colbert poked fun at Noem for her 'fascinating' confession about what she did to her late dog. 

'No, no, bad psycho governor, no, sit down, bad, stay, stay away from dogs,' Colbert shouted as he sprayed water out of a spray bottle.

'Look I know it sounds terrible, but it's much worse,' he added before he said: 'Why did Cricket need to kick it?' 

Stephen Colbert scolded South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem for killing her puppy, Cricket, as he lashed out at her during Monday's episode of The Late Show 

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

On the way home from a hunting trip that she took the puppy on with older dogs, Noem wrote when she stopped to talk to a family, Cricket, a wirehaired pointer, got out of her truck and attacked and killed some of the family’s chickens, and then bit the governor.

In her book, Noem said that she 'hated' the dog and deemed her 'untrainable' 

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

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

In response, Colbert defended the pup and said that Cricket was 'untrainable' because she was so young. 

Noem mentioned in her book that Cricket 'ruined the hunt' when she went 'out of her mind with excitement, chasing all those birds and having the time of her life.' 

'But who among us hasn't seen a dog running through the fields, not a care in the world, and thought "you deserve to die?",' Colbert said. 

In the book, Noem recalled, 'At that moment I realized I had to put her down.'

Noem then said she led Cricket to a gravel pit and shot her dead.

Colbert said that the book sounded 'less like a political memoir and more like the scrolled manifesto of a guy who's neighbors said, 'He just kind of kept to himself, you know?' 

In her book, Noem also mentioned that her family 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 animal as well. 

The republican said that Cricket 'ruined the hunt' when she went 'out of her mind with excitement, chasing all those birds and having the time of her life.' pictured: Noem posing with a gun in a Facebook photo 

On Sunday, she responded to the backlash she received after voluntarily confessing to killing the young pup 

She wrote the goat survived the first shot, so she went back to the truck, got another shell, shot him again and killed him. 

After she took Cricket's life, Noem recalled her daughter asking, 'Hey, where’s Cricket?' 

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.

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 pet 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.

In response to the backlash, Noem responded on Sunday and said that 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.' 

Noem is a potential running mate for former President Donald Trump. Republican strategist Alice Stewart said that while some Republican voters might appreciate the story, others might not agree with her mistreatment of animals 

The South Dakota Governor is photographed with a different dog that she owned, Hazel

'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. 

She previously took to social media to defend herself on the same topic. 

'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.'

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.