South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem Has No Regrets About Killing Her Puppy

Gov. Kristi Noem (R-South Dakota) found herself defending a controversial episode from her past – the killing of her family’s 14-month-old puppy, Cricket. The incident, which Noem recounts in her new book, resurfaces as the governor’s political star rises.

In Noem’s book, No Going Back, she recounted how the puppy ruined a pheasant shoot, killed a neighbor’s chickens and even attempted to bite Noem herself before she decided to end the dog’s life. Noem also admitted she killed a goat she deemed too aggressive and disposed of the body in the same gravel pit as Cricket.

When CNN’s Dana Bash pressed on the matter recently, Noem stood firm. “That story is a 20-year-old story of a mom who made a very difficult decision to protect her children from a vicious animal that was attacking livestock and killing livestock and attacking people,” she said.

While Noem defends her actions as necessary for her family’s safety, the lack of clear evidence and the graphic nature of the accounts raise concerns about her judgment and decision-making processes. As a public figure and potential political contender, Noem’s handling of these incidents could become a liability, particularly as she seeks to position herself as a champion for conservative values.

“People are put in tough situations in life, and we learn from it,” Noem said. “We learn a lot from it.”

Bash asked Noem if she thought she should be considered as a VP pick. “I think that that would be beneficial…according to the polling that I have seen for him in a lot of swing states, having a woman that is helping a campaign makes a difference,” she said. 

Noem has had a rough few months. She was recently banned by all of the Native American tribes in her state due to comments she made about them.