Politicians and dog experts are criticizing South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem after she wrote in a new book about killing a rambunctious puppy. The story — and the vilification she received on social media — has some wondering whether she’s still a viable potential running mate for presumptive Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump.

Experts who work with hunting dogs like Noem’s said she should have trained — not killed — the pup, or found other options if the dog was out of control.

Noem has tried to reframe the story from two decades ago as an example of her willingness to make tough decisions. She wrote on social media that the 14-month-old wirehaired pointer named Cricket had shown aggressive behavior by biting.

“As I explained in the book, it wasn’t easy,” she said on X. “But often the easy way isn’t the right way.”

Still, Democrats and even some conservatives have been critical.

  • Carvex@lemmy.world
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    2 months ago

    These nut jobs are so disconnected from reality, thinking telling people a story about killing your own innocent dog will make you look tough.

  • zaph@sh.itjust.works
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    2 months ago

    “As I explained in the book, it wasn’t easy,” she said on X. “But often the easy way isn’t the right way.”

    Excuse me? You’re trying to convince me that training aggressive behavior out of a dog is the easy way and you chose the high road by killing it??

  • inclementimmigrant@lemmy.world
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    2 months ago

    Yup. Just more and more detail that Republicans have really fucked up morals.

    The fact that this immoral dumbass is still trying to defend her complete lack of ability to train or control a dog, and trying to make it as “making hard choices” due to her own utter massive incompetence, is just telling about the mind set of what Republicans look to as moral guidance.

  • FraidyBear@lemmy.world
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    2 months ago

    Oh look! More proof that most politicians are either psychopaths or idiots being controlled by a rich psychopath. Who the fuck would think a story about killing a nippy puppy would appeal to the common people jfc. I’ve owned MANY dogs both growing up and as an adult, if you aren’t ready to train a dog, especially a smart breed, don’t bother getting a dog. Go get a cat or a fish or some shit that can’t bite and kill someone.

    • Chainweasel@lemmy.world
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      2 months ago

      The dog thing was horrible, But she also shot and killed a goat because it smelled.
      Why did the goat smell?
      Because she didn’t get it castrated.
      She pretends to be a farmer with stories about killing dogs that can’t hunt and goats that smell weird, But an actual farmer would have had the goat castrated if they weren’t planning on breeding it and they absolutely would have just retrained the dog.

      • disguy_ovahea@lemmy.world
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        2 months ago

        Also, she didn’t just kill it. She tortured it. She shot it, and it didn’t die. She then walked over to her truck to get another round, walked back, and shot it again.

    • Kalkaline @leminal.space
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      2 months ago

      It’s like someone watched Ol’ Yeller and completely missed the point that he got rabbies and that he was shot because he wasn’t trained.

  • Birdie@thelemmy.club
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    2 months ago

    So, I’ve got a theory. She killed her pup not because it upset her by scattering the birds she hunted, but because it embarrassed her in front of the neighbors when it killed their chickens. Cricket wouldn’t listen to her and it made her feel publicly ineffectual and weak. Being made to feel that way absolutely enraged her.

    She’s a massive POS and I really hope this ends her career.

    • Burn_The_Right@lemmy.world
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      2 months ago

      I really hope this ends her career.

      I don’t think it will. Conservatives are completely fine with killing dogs and cats at whim. The only reason they are backing off a bit here is because it was a puppy and they are having trouble making that look good. They will get over it quickly, though, as they don’t actually have anything against killing puppies.

      This is all about appearing to take the high-road. In the future, when this is brought up, they will say she was a “strong leader” for doing what needed to be done. Defending her will be seen as a “bold stance” against the “woke PETA mob”.

    • stoly@lemmy.world
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      2 months ago

      This was precisely my take. This was narcissistic rage and she can’t even see it.

  • Nobody@lemmy.world
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    2 months ago

    I’d hate to think what would have happened if her children had trouble with potty training.

    “Some might think shooting a toddler is cruel, but 3-years-old is way too old to still be in diapers. Hard decisions had to be made, people.”

    • feedmecontent@lemmy.world
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      2 months ago

      Even non-psychopaths who aren’t dog people. When I encounter a dog, any dog, I couldn’t be more uncomfortable. But I don’t find this sort of thing any less shocking than people who have and love dogs.

    • Burn_The_Right@lemmy.world
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      2 months ago

      Conservatives don’t hate dog killers. They love to brag about killing things, including dogs and cats. It’s all just part of being a piece of shit conservative. But, the conservatives can sense that it looks bad to openly brag about killing a puppy. They just haven’t figured out a way to make it look good yet. So they are backing away from her for the moment.

      But, mark my words… They will eventually circle back and reframe puppy-killing as “so brave and strong” for doing “what needed to be done”.

  • taanegl@lemmy.world
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    2 months ago

    It sounds like it was easy. What’s she call her literal killing grounds, “the gravel pit”? No, ma’am, even though Wu is for the children, no child should be aware of your gravel pit.

    That dog was too young from what she expected from it. Her reason does not hold up.

  • Vespair@lemm.ee
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    2 months ago

    So when politicians support tons of policies that harm, starve, and needlessly incarcerate millions of living American humans, no big deal, but if one fucking dog gets harmed suddenly we give a shit.

    Cool. Our empathy for our fellow man definitely isn’t broken at all.

    • IrateAnteater@sh.itjust.works
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      It’s not hard to understand at all. There’s a couple things at work here: first, humans are terrible at connecting emotionally to long term consequences. That’s why a disaster that kills 100 people will always elicit a stronger reaction than a policy that will kill millions.

      Another thing happening is how humans subconsciously justify things to themselves. An adult could have “deserved” whatever happened, but there’s no way a puppy did.

      I think it’s dogs tickling the same parts of our brains as kids, which would go towards explaining the similar reactions.

    • dustyData@lemmy.world
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      2 months ago

      Inability to be empathetic and kind to animals is a psychopathic trait. People who don’t want to and wouldn’t hurt humans, wouldn’t hurt animals either. But those who want to hurt humans will usually resort to hurting animals because they can get away with it more easily. (especial treatment for small mammals and pets as they are the emotionally closest to us)

    • Sidyctism@feddit.de
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      2 months ago

      The point isnt human vs dog, its direct vs indirect action. People are a lot more disgusted by murderers than the person that put out the hit.

    • zaph@sh.itjust.works
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      2 months ago

      People kinda suck. I’ve never met a dog I didn’t like. (this is slight sarcasm)

  • 21Cabbage@lemmynsfw.com
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    2 months ago

    Even if I was heartless enough to kill my own dog I like to think I have the presence of mind to not brag about it afterwards.