DNC slams Noem over ‘horrifying’ story about shooting her family’s dog

The Democratic National Committee (DNC) on Friday slammed South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem (R) over a passage in her new book about shooting her family dog.

In a statement first shared with The Hill, the DNC called itself the “Dogmocratic Party” and gave its response in the voice of dogs of Democratic owners.

“As DNC’s canine companions, we’ve heard a lot from our owners about just how extreme and dangerous Donald Trump and his far-right MAGA allies are — but nothing could prepare us for the truly disturbing and horrifying passages Kristi Noem willingly chose to put in her new book,” the statement said.

It continued, “Our message is plain and simple: If you want elected officials who don’t brag about brutally killing their pets as part of their self-promotional book tour, then listen to our owners — and vote Democrat.”

Noem has been discussed as a possible running mate to former President Trump, who is poised for a rematch with President Biden in November’s election.

Noem’s forthcoming book describes how she shot her dog after a hunting trip, according to a report in The Guardian, which obtained a copy of the book.

She describes growing angry with the nearly 14-month-old “Cricket,” a wirehaired pointer, after the dog escaped her truck and attacked a local family’s chickens on the way home. When Noem tried to grab the dog, she wrote that it whipped around to bite her. Then, she led Cricket to a gravel pit on her property and shot it.

Noem wrote that she also then killed a “nasty and mean” male goat that smelled and liked to chase her children.

When her daughter arrived home, Noem writes in the book that she looked around, confused, asking where Cricket was.

“I guess if I were a better politician I wouldn’t tell the story here,” Noem wrote.

The DNC, in its response, also called out other comments from Noem that they deemed extreme, including defending her state’s abortion ban when asked about 10-year-olds forced to give birth. And it highlighted times that she has praised Trump, including when she said in September she would be his running mate “in a heartbeat.”