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Jimmy Williams
South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem is standing firm on her decision to share a controversial story about her dog Cricket in her upcoming book, despite facing criticism.
In a statement on Sunday, she addressed the backlash, acknowledging people’s concerns while emphasizing the honesty of her memoir.
Noem’s book, titled “No Going Back: The Truth on What’s Wrong with Politics and How We Move America Forward,” recounts a difficult decision she made years ago to personally kill her 14-month-old dog Cricket. In the book, she describes Cricket as having an aggressive personality and recalls an incident where the dog attacked a family’s chickens.
“I can understand why some people are upset about a 20-year-old story of Cricket, one of the working dogs at our ranch, in my upcoming book,” Noem wrote. “The book is filled with many honest stories of my life, good and bad days, challenges, painful decisions, and lessons learned.”
In explaining her decision to kill Cricket, Noem recounts feeling responsible for her dog’s behavior and not wanting to pass on the burden to others.
“I hated that dog,” Noem writes, claiming Cricket was “untrainable.”
“This was my dog and my responsibility, and I would not ask someone else to clean up my mess,” Noem writes. “I stopped the truck in the middle of the yard, got my gun, grabbed Cricket’s leash and led her out into the pasture and down into the gravel pit.”
Additionally, Noem reveals in her book that she also killed a goat that exhibited aggressive behavior. She explains that these experiences, while challenging, reflect her commitment to taking responsibility and making tough decisions.
“I guess if I were a better politician I wouldn’t tell the story here,” Noem writes in her book, comparing both decisions to put down the animals to a leader needing to make difficult decisions.
Despite facing backlash over the revelations in her book, Noem remains steadfast in her defense. “Whether running the ranch or in politics, I have never passed on my responsibilities to anyone else to handle,” she wrote. “Even if it’s hard and painful.”
As the controversy continues to unfold, Noem’s book is set to be released next week, offering readers a glimpse into her personal and political journey.
