Kristi Noem Slammed In Home State Newspaper Column

South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem has been condemned in an opinion piece published by a newspaper in her home state for admitting to shooting dead her "untrainable" farm dog.

Writing for the Mitchell Daily Republic, Jenny Schlecht, director of agricultural content for AGweek, lashed out at Noem after extracts of her upcoming book revealed that she shot her 14-month-old dog, Cricket, because of its aggressive behavior.

Noem has since been widely mocked and criticized for writing about how she killed her pet dog in her upcoming book No Going Back: The Truth on What's Wrong with Politics and How We Move America Forward. The outcry has led to suggestions the revelations may also have permanently damaged Noem's political career, including her chances of being named as Donald Trump's next running mate.

The governor has defended her actions, suggesting that the decision to kill "one of the working dogs at our ranch" 20 years ago was the legal and responsible thing to do and happens "all the time" on farms. Noem also painted the story as proof of her tough political acumen and ability to make "painful decisions."

Writing in Mitchell Republic, Schlecht dismissed Noem's claims that she was in the right to shoot as it would have been "less than worthless" even as a hunting dog.

"It is not an indication of 'toughness' or a 'farm thing' to kill an animal that doesn't live up to your standards," Schlecht wrote.

"It's a sign of laziness to not take proactive measures to fix the problem, like rehoming the dog to a more appropriate place, getting the dog better training, or, in the case of a truly vicious animal, having it humanely euthanized."

Schlecht, who lives on a farm and ranch near Medina, North Dakota, adds that even when euthanizing an animal is sometimes the best option, on farms "when things don't go right," but she and her family would "strive always to do things properly."

"Farm dogs are not just tools of a farm. They're often part of the family," she wrote. "And we're going to treat them as such, even when they fail us. Or, more accurately, when we fail them."

Noem's office has been contacted for comment via email.

In a post on X, formerly Twitter, Noem said she "can understand" why some people are upset about the story about shooting her dog Cricket, but defended her actions.

"The book is filled with many honest stories of my life, good and bad days, challenges, painful decisions, and lessons learned. What I learned from my years of public service, especially leading South Dakota through COVID, is people are looking for leaders who are authentic, willing to learn from the past, and don't shy away from tough challenges," Noem said.

"The fact is, South Dakota law states that dogs who attack and kill livestock can be put down. Given that Cricket had shown aggressive behavior toward people by biting them, I decided what I did," she adds.

"Whether running the ranch or in politics, I have never passed on my responsibilities to anyone else to handle. Even if it's hard and painful. I followed the law and was being a responsible parent, dog owner, and neighbor. As I explained in the book, it wasn't easy. But often the easy way isn't the right way."