According to an extract from the book obtained by the Guardian ahead of its publication next month, Noem, a farmer and breeder, said she shot and killed her 14-month-old wirehaired pointer, Cricket, because she was “impossible to “train” and aggressive. .
Noem described how overexcited Cricket got during a hunt and wrote that she attacked another family’s chickens like “a trained assassin.” The governor also said Cricket tried to bite her during the incident, later writing that she “hated that dog.”
After killing Cricket, Noem wrote that she then decided to kill a family goat that was “mean and mean” and that “liked to chase” Noem’s children.
Democrats, including President Biden’s re-election campaign, have had a bit of fun — as well as some lively political politics.
The Democratic National Committee, in response to the excerpt from Noem’s book, issued a statement on behalf of the “dogs of the DNC, aka the Dogmocratic Party.”
“As fellow DNC canines, we’ve heard a lot from our owners about how extreme and dangerous Donald Trump and his far-right MAGA allies are — but nothing could prepare us for the truly disturbing and horrific bits that Kristi L. Noem intentionally chose to put it in her new book,” the statement said.
“Our message is clear and simple: if you want elected officials who don’t do it brag about brutally killing their pets as part of their self-promotional book tour, then listen to our owners – and vote Democratic,” the statement added.
After Noem’s clip was made public, the Biden campaign’s rapid response team sharing X-rated photos of Vice President Harris holding a puppy and President Biden walking his German shepherd, Commander, at the White House (although Commander was removed from the White House last year after biting several staff members and Secret Service agents).
Democratic Gov. Tim Walz (Minn.) shared a photo on X of him giving his dog a treat, writing the caption: “Post a photo with your dog that doesn’t involve shooting him and throwing him in a gravel pit. I’ll get started.” The post garnered responses from Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D-Mich.) and Gov. Phil Murphy (D-N.J.) along with their furry companions.
The Lincoln Project, a political organization founded by moderate conservatives opposed to Trump, issued a tongue-in-cheek statement. video it seemed to nod to Sarah McLachlan’s earworm ads for the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.
“You have a choice,” a narrator says in the video. “Shooting your dog in the face shouldn’t be one of them. And if you shoot your dog in the head, don’t write about it in your autobiography.
The organization also subsequently said that Trump and Noem’s “disdain for animals reflects their contempt for everything else.” Cruelty is the important point.
Other Republicans who don’t support Trump, including former Trump aides Alyssa Farah Griffin And Sarah Matthewas well as Meghan McCainalso expressed shock at Noem’s story.
And Laura Loomer, right-wing activist and Trump ally, wrote on X, “You can’t shoot your dog and then become vice president.”
Noem’s actions were criticized by animal rights organizations. Colleen O’Brien, senior vice president of media relations at People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, said in a statement that the excerpt reveals that the governor “clearly fails to understand vital policy concepts of education , cooperation, compromise and compassion.”
Sara Amundson, president of the Humane Society Legislative Fund – the lobbying arm of the Humane Society of the United States – said in a statement that “there is nothing to take away from a story about the end of life of these animals, including that of a juvenile dog. who was the family pet.
The organization noted that all 86 million U.S. households “own at least one beloved pet and value our relationship with them.” There are many effective and humane ways to deal with dog behavior problems without resorting to such means.
Noem appeared to verify the details of the excerpt published by the Guardian, in writing on X Friday morning, “We love animals, but tough 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.
The governor, in her message, then urged her supporters to pre-order “No Going Back,” her upcoming book, “if you want more real, honest, and politically INcorrect stories that will make the media gasp.”
Amy B Wang contributed to this report.
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