Trump running mate contender Kristi Noem defends killing dog on family farm

WASHINGTON – Mrs Kristi Noem, a contender to become Republican Donald Trump’s vice-presidential running mate, defended herself on April 26 against Democratic attacks over her account of shooting a dog on her family farm.

Mrs Noem, the governor of South Dakota, describes killing an “untrainable” dog called Cricket that she “hated” in an upcoming memoir, excerpts of which were first published by The Guardian on April 26.

She also said she shot to death a goat.

Mrs Noem said the dog ruined a hunt and later attacked chickens owned by a local family, behaved like a “trained assassin”, and was “dangerous to anyone she came in contact with”.

“I realised I had to put her down,” Mrs Noem wrote.

The Democratic National Committee seized on the excerpts, calling them “horrifying” and “disturbing”, and tried to make a 2024 election argument over the shooting of the animals.

“If you want elected officials who don’t brag about brutally killing their pets as part of their self-promotional book tour, then listen to our owners – and vote Democrat,” the committee said in a statement, giving voice to the dogs.

Responding on X, Mrs Noem said: “We love animals, but tough decisions like this happen all the time on a farm.

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

Mrs Noem is on a list of candidates being considered by Trump to be his vice-presidential running mate, friends and allies of Trump have told Reuters.

Trump faces a general election rematch with Democratic President Joe Biden on Nov 5.

Ms Colleen O’Brien, senior director at People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, decried Mrs Noem’s decision to kill the dog.

She criticised Mrs Noem for allowing to let “this rambunctious puppy loose on chickens and then punishing her by deciding to personally blow her brains out rather than attempting to train her or find a more responsible guardian who would provide her with a proper home”. REUTERS