Kristi Noem, the governor of South Dakota and a possible contender for vice president alongside former President Donald Trump, has revealed that she made the difficult decision to euthanize one of her dogs. She described the dog as being “less than worthless” due to its behavior. Additionally, she acknowledged euthanizing a goat she found “disgusting” and claimed it had attacked her children.
Noem shared these revelations in her memoir, where she argued that her capacity to make tough choices underscores her preparedness to tackle challenging situations when necessary. She defended her actions in a social media post, sharing a photo of an article about her book to reinforce her position.
In her memoir titled “No Going Back: The Truth on What’s Wrong with Politics and How We Move America Forward,” Noem provided a detailed account of the euthanization process. She recounted leading the dog, named Cricket, to a gravel pit with a gun, acknowledging the difficulty of the task but asserting its necessity.
Describing Cricket as having an “aggressive personality” and being “untrainable,” Noem explained how the dog posed a danger to anyone it encountered. She recalled a specific incident where Cricket attempted to bite her when she tried to control it, leading her to the decision to euthanize.
Additionally, she recounted euthanizing a male goat that she claimed exhibited aggressive behavior toward her children, stating that it “loved to chase” them and knock them down.
Despite the controversial nature of her actions, Noem acknowledged that sharing the story might not be politically advantageous but opted to include it in her memoir nonetheless.