Wayne Pacelle, president of Animal Wellness Action and the Center for a Humane Economy, reacted to news coverage of excerpts from South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem’s new book, in which she recounts her callous killing of a 14-month-old puppy named Cricket because she went “out of her mind with excitement, chasing all those birds and having the time of her life.”
Noem claimed that the dog attacked a local family’s chickens and “whipped around to bite” her when she tried to stop her. She then shot Cricket dead in a gravel pit.
“There’s no rational and plausible excuse for Noem shooting a juvenile dog for normal puppy-like behavior. If she is unable to handle an animal, ask a family member or a neighbor to help. If training and socializing the dog doesn’t work, then give the dog to a more caring family or to a shelter for adoption. Raising and caring for a dog takes patience and kindness. Tens of millions of Americans who know and love dogs have to wonder about a person who expresses hatred for a young female dog and kills her.”
Mr. Pacelle is available for interviews and additional quotes or information at wayne@animalwellnessaction.org.