The Guardian obtained a copy of Noem’s soon-to-be released book, “No Going Back: The Truth on What’s Wrong with Politics and How We Move America Forward.” In it, she tells the story of the ill-fated Cricket, a 14-month-old wirehaired pointer she was training for pheasant hunting.

On the way home from the hunting trip, Noem writes that she stopped to talk to a family. Cricket got out of Noem’s truck and attacked and killed some of the family’s chickens, then bit the governor.

“At that moment,” Noem writes, “I realized I had to put her down.” She led Cricket to a gravel pit and killed her.

She writes, according to the Guardian, that the tale was included to show her willingness to do anything “difficult, messy and ugly” if it has to be done. But backlash was swift against the Republican governor, who just a month ago drew attention and criticism for posting an infomercial-like video about cosmetic dental surgery she received out-of-state.

    • disguy_ovahea@lemmy.world
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      6 months ago

      Not true. She trained it to chase pheasants all day before it attacked the chickens. It did exactly what she trained it to do.

    • girlfreddy@lemmy.caOP
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      6 months ago

      Tbh not many people out there know how to train dogs (or cats for that matter).

        • girlfreddy@lemmy.caOP
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          6 months ago

          True, but they often send them back to where they adopted them from … when shelters are often overflowing.

          • Flying Squid@lemmy.world
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            6 months ago

            Giving the dog another chance to be adopted is a hell of a lot better than having it follow you to a gravel pit and then killing it.

          • suction@lemmy.world
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            6 months ago

            So what’s your point, genius? That we shouldn’t view her how she deserves to be viewed, I.e. a horrible person who shouldn’t be near any kind of grown up profession?

        • FiniteBanjo@lemmy.today
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          6 months ago

          Not really a distinction worth making when surrendering or adopting out a dog is just a pipeline to Euthanization anyways. This dog bit a human being, killed small animals for sport, it’s far too late to salvage.