South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem, a leading candidate to become Donald Trump's running mate, has described killing her own dog and a goat in her upcoming memoir. The book, titled 'No Going Back: The Truth on What’s Wrong with Politics and How We Move America Forward', is set to be published next month. The Guardian obtained an advance copy.
Noem writes that she shot her 14-month-old wirehair pointer, Cricket, after the dog ruined a pheasant hunt and attacked a local family's chickens. She describes Cricket as having an 'aggressive personality' and being 'untrainable'. After the hunt, Cricket escaped from Noem's truck and killed several chickens. Noem then led the dog to a gravel pit and shot her, calling it 'a difficult, messy and ugly' task that needed to be done.
Noem also recounts killing a male goat owned by her family, which she describes as 'nasty and mean' and prone to chasing her children. She shot the goat in the same gravel pit, but the animal initially survived the wound, requiring a second shot. Noem notes that a construction crew witnessed the killings, and her daughter later asked, 'Hey, where’s Cricket?'
The governor defends her actions as illustrating her willingness to do what is necessary, even if unpleasant. The story has drawn widespread criticism, with some commentators comparing her to serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer. Noem writes that 'a better politician … wouldn’t tell the story here', but she includes it to show her readiness to handle difficult tasks.
