Kristi Noem, who is a contender for Donald Trump's running mate in the
, has defended herself after being criticised for killing her pet puppy.
The Democratic National Committee described her actions as "horrifying" and "disturbing", but the South Dakota Governor has stood by her actions, saying "tough decisions like this happen all the time."
So who is Kristi Noem, did she really kill a puppy, and how has she defended herself?
Who is Kristi Noem?
Kristi Noem was elected Governor of South Dakota in 2018, and assumed office in 2019. She is the state's first female governor.
She previously held South Dakota's at-large seat in the US House of Representatives from 2011-2019, and was a member of the South Dakota House of Representatives from 2007-2011.
Noem is also a rancher and farmer.
As governor, Noem's priorities include advancing agriculture, supporting the military, improving cybersecurity, enhancing habitat for hunting, and addressing mental health and suicide prevention.
South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem arrives onstage at a campaign rally March 2024, in Vandalia, Ohio. Source: AAP / Jeff Dean/AP
Why is Kristi Noem being criticised?
In her new book No Going Back, Noem recounted shooting the puppy on her family farm. She also said she shot and killed a goat.
In excerpts from the memoir, first published by the Guardian, Noem describes killing the "untrainable" female puppy called Cricket which she "hated".
Noem said the 14-month-old pup ruined a hunt and later attacked chickens owned by a local family, behaved like a "trained assassin," and was "dangerous to anyone she came in contact with".
"I realised I had to put her down," Noem wrote.
She described dragging the dog to a gravel pit, then shooting her, later doing the same thing to the family's male goat.
The book goes on to describe that a construction crew witnessed Noem kill both animals, and then a school bus pulled up, dropping off her children.
Noem says her daughter asked her where Cricket was.
The Democratic National Committee then released a statement "on behalf of dogs" in response to the "brutal killing."
"Nothing could prepare us for the truly disturbing and horrifying passages Kristi Noem willingly chose to put in her new book," the statement said.
"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."
Colleen O'Brien, senior director at People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), decried Noem's decision to kill the puppy.
She criticised Noem for allowing "this rambunctious puppy loose on chickens and then punishing her by deciding to personally blow her brains out rather than attempting to train her or find a more responsible guardian who would provide her with a proper home".
Has Kristi Noem defended herself?
Noem has responded to criticism on X, formerly Twitter.
"We love animals, but tough decisions like this happen all the time on a farm," she wrote.
"Sadly, we just had to put down 3 horses a few weeks ago that had been in our family for 25 years."
