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.
“I hated that dog,” Noem writes, deeming her “untrainable.”
Sounds sane to me. Hating animals is cool.
Authoritarian virtue signaling.
I’m willing to murder my dog who else do you think I’m willing to murder? So how about you make me your VP?
She killed her dog because she didn’t know how to train her dog
Not true. She trained it to chase pheasants all day before it attacked the chickens. It did exactly what she trained it to do.
Tbh not many people out there know how to train dogs (or cats for that matter).
In general, they don’t kill their dogs over their failure.
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.
There are plenty of no kill shelters. This county’s shelter is no kill.
And no kill shelters are selective and in high demand.
I killed my dog. I adopted him at 6 years old at the shelter. He was incredibly abused, malnourished and pitiable. That’s not why I adopted him. Honestly, I didn’t adopt him. He adopted me. My kids and I had spent all day at the shelter looking for a dog to adopt, and hadn’t found any dog that fit with us. The last dog that we were going to see that day was a terribly skinny black chihuahua who was absolutely terrified of all people. The shelter staff told us that he would immediately curl up in the farthest possible corner and that we shouldn’t approach him, as he would bite. So the kids and I of course accepted that and settled together on the stone bench in the visiting room. They brought the dog in, who was visibly shaking and terrified. They let him off his leash and left the room. I knew there was nothing we could do to make him comfortable so we started talking about some school stuff and generally just ignoring him.
Suddenly I felt a weight on my lap. I looked down, and this tiny shaking dog was on my lap just looking up at me. I slowly approached him with my hand and he let me pet him. He licked my hand and just looked at me with those trusting eyes.
I didn’t adopt that dog, he adopted me.
Fast forward 10 years, and he was spry as fuck at 16 years old. We moved states and he loved where we moved. We went hiking, we went to teh beach, we saw waterfalls, we saw all sorts of things. He would leap for joy all the time, he knew I loved him, and I knew he loved me.
One day in spring last year, he stopped eating. He stopped pooping and just… shut down. I could not get him to eat or drink or anything. I took him to the vet and the prognosis was that they could maybe prolong his life for a few months, but it would be intrusive and frankly, from the description, absolutely awful for him.
I thought about having the vet put him to “sleep” but I didn’t like that either. He didn’t deserve to be injected with strange drugs in a strange place by strangers. I chose to take him home, give him a rather large dose of xanax and smother him with my hand while telling him what an amazing boy he was.
I killed my dog, and I don’t regret it. He knew how much I loved him from the first time he saw me to the last time.
I’m really sorry for your loss. The worst thing about pets is that we usually outlive them. I’ve had to lose two dogs now, both thankfully making it to 14. I rescued them when they didn’t have a loving home and gave one to them. When I did take them to the vet and had them put down, it was incredibly difficult and heartbreaking but one had issues like yours and the other just gave up on life and was ready to go. I miss both of them terribly, but you and I did it because we loved them. She did it because she’s incapable of love.
Edit: Also, what the fuck is wrong with the six people (so far) who have downvoted you for telling a heartfelt story about losing a dog you loved? Shame on all six of you.
I think it’s the smothering that’s bringing in the downvotes. A shot to the back of the head would have been more humane.
Oh shit, I just re-read it. I think I misread ‘smothering’ as ‘stroking’ and thought he just let the dog die of a Xanax OD. I wouldn’t call that the most sensible way to euthanize a dog, but I doubt it would have been too terrible as a way to go out. But to smother it as well? Never mind, shame on OP.
He was entirely insensate, and was effectively sedated. I don’t own a gun, and gently smothering him was the only thing I could think to do without causing pain. I’m sorry you feel that way.
You don’t know that you didn’t cause him any pain just because he appeared to be sedated enough.
Absolute psychopathic behaviour.
“Ooo cant let the vets put sCaRy ChEmiCaLs into my literally dying dog. ill just SMOTHER HIM TO DEATH. Thats a much better way to go.”
edit. Also, “strange chemicals” and then gives his dog xanax. Dude. Really. You swapped chemical A for chemical B. Crazy mental gymnastics.
Yes, maybe in a nearby gravel pit.
Removed by mod
Is it better to have someone else do it? Easier for sure, but is it actually better from an ethical standpoint?
I want to chime in that she did the responsible thing, here. Don’t let that emotional animal part of your brain think “how dare she harm the puppers” when she clearly couldn’t control, contain, or responsibly own this animal. Putting it in the pound would have solved nothing. She did the right thing and I have no idea why we’re even discussing it.
Every single action leading up to that point, though, that was on her.
Naw, just give the dog to a rescue, even a no kill shelter would have been fine, that’s likely a pure breed GWP (German wirehair pointer). There aren’t GWPs just running around loose on the streets, not hard to re-home.
Just an fyi on no-kill shelters, they are no-kill because they are incredibly selective on animals they take in, they are specifically looking for adoptable animals, this would be one they would take on a heartbeat. Hunting dogs killing chickens is an INCREDIBLY common problem.
Shelters overflow with these animals in the USA. I doubt that they would accept this animal at a no-kill, it bit a person. I think the choice she made at the end minimized harm and suffering for the dog and others.
They would! Poorly trained hunting dogs nipping or biting while in prey-drive is also incredibly common. I have seen this exact story play it with a Brittany Spaniel, rescue and no kills would take this 2 year old, put it in a very brief bite quarantine, then train it.
Like it’s a story that rescues and shelters hear all the time! Especially in heavy hunting areas
I don’t believe a word of what you just said.
