I agree Cricket deserved to live -no question!. But, one of Noem's dummest mistakes was not realizing that including that story in a book was not good optics at all in politics and that there was no way she could package that to look good - people love puppies. If she is that stupid, she is too stupid to run for office IMO. But then again, she probably is just stupid enough to be Trump's running mate.
Thanks for getting input from folks ‘ in the know’ about how farmfolk handle situations such as this. Kristi Noem is scary - first the new ‘do and new teeth (from a TX dentist, no less) and now the senseless slaughter of a pointer pup! The MAGA crowd can have her!!!
As a native Illinoian and an Iowa resident for 35 of the past 41 years, I humorously take issue with your description of El Paso as “southern Illinois”. Being located north of Bloomington, El Paso is more likely to be considered Central Illinois. It’s kind of like all my fellow Illinois natives who think anywhere outside the city of Chicago is “downstate “ and anyone outside of Lake, Cook, DuPage, and Will counties thinks those four comprise “Chicago”. Thanks for the smile!
First, about the raccoon. I lived off campus at Iowa State and one of the other roomers brought his pet raccoon to the house. It reared its back and hissed at anyone who came near and one night got loose in the common kitchen. All the cereal boxes were torn apart and contents strewn about, but more damaging was his tearing up the plastic cushions on the chairs and spreading the stuffing about. The raccoon went back to his home for a future unknown.
For Gov. Noem to publish a story of her killing a dog and a goat astonishes me as a political act. A standard political joke is that "the candidate might as well say he likes to drop kick puppies." She has just proudly proclaimed to have killed one. Granted, there is a history of farmers shooting dogs that kill chickens or "runs sheep." There was, and perhaps still is, a belief that putting down such a dog is the duty of a good farm neighbor. It was a widespread belief that a dog that tasted chicken or sheep blood could not be trained out of the impulse to repeat the act. It also comes from a time when there were fewer options. But now there are options such as animal shelters and such. But even in the days when a farmer might feel a duty to put down a chicken or sheep killer, it was done with regret and sorrow. We see none of that in Gov. Noem's account.
Killing a dog because you haven't trained it correctly is absolutely horrible. It could have been rehomed, taken to a shelter or euthanized. Although many veterinarians now will not euthanize a dog for no good reason. I once had a dog I took through obedience training. She was such a good dog in so many ways. But one day I came home to find her tossing our kittens around like toys. They both died. She was just a puppy and didn't understand what she was doing but I couldn't have a dog that killed my cats. I didn't take her out and shoot her - I found her a better home. And I feel guilty every day for my failure to train her better.
We've owned enthusiastic hunting dogs for 30 years. Hunting dogs are not robots programmed to hunt. It takes many hours, weeks and months of exposure, training and repetition to become a reliable hunting partnership. There is a huge difference between a puppy you chose to bring into the family for hunting and farm livestock or formerly wild critters. Noem failed as an owner in too many ways to list. Cricket was being a young, untrained "hunting" dog. That is on Noem for being impulsive, inhumane and purposely ignorant. Cricket's breeder has to be horrified as well, but probably lives in SD and will be silent....but Noem is unfit to own canines.
My late husband was a farmer and always had and loved his dogs. His last one was a part Border Collie named Molly. When I would visit the farm I would bring my city dog, Annie and they would have best time playing together. Molly taught Annie how to herd pigs! 🤣 When we got married Molly went to live with my husband’s son, also a farmer. Although she was trained to not run out in the road to bark at cars she did and was killed. Believe me it was a very sad day for all of us.
Racoons don't eat from corn cribs, they tear up corn fields much the same as deer do. If you live near a timber and farm, you certaily know what that means. Since the state has taken racoons off its seasonal list of permited hunting, they are now fair game year round, not much different than rats. Dogs, no matter their age, get dumped by town people all the time because they don't want to pay someone to take them. Off to the country they go to be dumped along a gravel road, then drive off quickly. The same goes for cats. Simple neccessity for farm people is to eliminate the problem before someone gets attached to the animal. The last dog I was attached to was shot when he got hung up between two strands of barb wire and was found by hunters who mercifully shot him. In his delerium he had chewed off the wrong leg trying to get free and was starving to death hanging from the fence. When I returned from Vietnam, I noticed something was wrong, but couldn't put my finger on it. After a while I figured it out, the dog wasn't there to greet me! The previous year when I had come home on leave after several years absense, the dog had jumped into the back seat of the car with me so excited to see me again. That was what I was missing. Once I heard the story, that ended it. Farming and livestock are a way of life. You learn how far you can go with those connections. You understand when the suffering needs to end and end quickly, especially when there is only going to be more of the same if it isn't ended. That is the reality you must deal with. If every pig, chicken, cow, horse, cat or puppy had to wait to die, there wouldn't be a reason to farm! There would be no margin to live on, and you would be over-run with livestock that would eat you out of house and home! This is going to the extreme, but in order to make sense of this, it only works to take it there!
The first movie I ever saw was Old Yeller. I get teary eyed to this day, as I recall that terrible scene where Yeller, infected with rabies from protecting his boy from infected wild boars, is put out of his misery with a shot- gun. It was a terrible ordeal for the boy who had to “ man-up” to send the dog to his maker.
Ms. Noem’s version of using her gun on her dog was, IMHO, proof of her incapacity to tell right from wrong; making her a danger to herself and society. Gun ownership is unfortunately, too often allowed to people like herself, leading to mass shootings and death by GSW (gun shot wound).
Instead of proving her ‘toughness’ by including this tale in her book, she has inadvertently shown yet one more case in point for the need of tough gun legislation. Why she is not, at the very least, tried for animal cruelty, is my immediate reaction. She certainly has made a name for herself as a cruel, demented, poor excuse for a human being. It may not be an impeachable offense, but the South Dakotans I know will never be giving her another term as governor.
When I was old enough to know more about dog behavior, I grew angry with the characters in Old Yeller. It was possible that Yeller did not indeed have Rabies but rather was reacting to being locked up in a shed for so long without attention. Who wouldn't be mad at that!
Oh my, what a ruckus. Our farm has always “inherited” dogs, mostly Labs, that failed my hunter brothers expectations in their hunter world. They have all been good dogs that our children grew up with. Shame on Noem.
I have several thoughts. As a late teen on our farm, I lived the same experience as John with a "runt" pig that really could not make it. That is a not good feeling, but it is a necessity. I did it but I never liked it. Then, had Noem's dog bitten three people making it dangerous, that would have been far different. Killing chickens is more instinctual and close to what's expected of the dog. It sounds as if she wanted to show toughness, but came off just sounding needlessly cruel. She demonstrated tone deafness, not astute politics. Finally, how strange that even some Republicans who talk of shooting migrants in the Rio Grande are troubled by shooting a puppy in a gravel pit.
Julie, this is brilliant. Instead of gaining a reputation as a rootin’ tootin’ shootin’ tough-as-nails conservative, the governor has managed instead to expose the needless cruelty that is at the core of her philosophy and that of many others. Truth comes in unexpected ways.
I agree Cricket deserved to live -no question!. But, one of Noem's dummest mistakes was not realizing that including that story in a book was not good optics at all in politics and that there was no way she could package that to look good - people love puppies. If she is that stupid, she is too stupid to run for office IMO. But then again, she probably is just stupid enough to be Trump's running mate.
If a dog needs put down, it can be done humanely by a vet. Surely soeone with a governor's salary could have afforded that.
One would think so.
Thanks for getting input from folks ‘ in the know’ about how farmfolk handle situations such as this. Kristi Noem is scary - first the new ‘do and new teeth (from a TX dentist, no less) and now the senseless slaughter of a pointer pup! The MAGA crowd can have her!!!
Your friend, Dr. John said it best: Cricket deserved a better owner.
As a native Illinoian and an Iowa resident for 35 of the past 41 years, I humorously take issue with your description of El Paso as “southern Illinois”. Being located north of Bloomington, El Paso is more likely to be considered Central Illinois. It’s kind of like all my fellow Illinois natives who think anywhere outside the city of Chicago is “downstate “ and anyone outside of Lake, Cook, DuPage, and Will counties thinks those four comprise “Chicago”. Thanks for the smile!
Guilty as charged! I guess, having lived in the Chicago area, El Paso felt ‘southern’.
First, about the raccoon. I lived off campus at Iowa State and one of the other roomers brought his pet raccoon to the house. It reared its back and hissed at anyone who came near and one night got loose in the common kitchen. All the cereal boxes were torn apart and contents strewn about, but more damaging was his tearing up the plastic cushions on the chairs and spreading the stuffing about. The raccoon went back to his home for a future unknown.
For Gov. Noem to publish a story of her killing a dog and a goat astonishes me as a political act. A standard political joke is that "the candidate might as well say he likes to drop kick puppies." She has just proudly proclaimed to have killed one. Granted, there is a history of farmers shooting dogs that kill chickens or "runs sheep." There was, and perhaps still is, a belief that putting down such a dog is the duty of a good farm neighbor. It was a widespread belief that a dog that tasted chicken or sheep blood could not be trained out of the impulse to repeat the act. It also comes from a time when there were fewer options. But now there are options such as animal shelters and such. But even in the days when a farmer might feel a duty to put down a chicken or sheep killer, it was done with regret and sorrow. We see none of that in Gov. Noem's account.
Well said, Karl! Your raccoon story sounds kinda awful!
I bet Noem doesn't leave her fresh dog food in the refrigerator. TV ad. The hardest Thing was putting our dog buffy down by court order.
Oh! How sad!
Killing a dog because you haven't trained it correctly is absolutely horrible. It could have been rehomed, taken to a shelter or euthanized. Although many veterinarians now will not euthanize a dog for no good reason. I once had a dog I took through obedience training. She was such a good dog in so many ways. But one day I came home to find her tossing our kittens around like toys. They both died. She was just a puppy and didn't understand what she was doing but I couldn't have a dog that killed my cats. I didn't take her out and shoot her - I found her a better home. And I feel guilty every day for my failure to train her better.
Aw…great comment
We've owned enthusiastic hunting dogs for 30 years. Hunting dogs are not robots programmed to hunt. It takes many hours, weeks and months of exposure, training and repetition to become a reliable hunting partnership. There is a huge difference between a puppy you chose to bring into the family for hunting and farm livestock or formerly wild critters. Noem failed as an owner in too many ways to list. Cricket was being a young, untrained "hunting" dog. That is on Noem for being impulsive, inhumane and purposely ignorant. Cricket's breeder has to be horrified as well, but probably lives in SD and will be silent....but Noem is unfit to own canines.
Thanks for your input!
My late husband was a farmer and always had and loved his dogs. His last one was a part Border Collie named Molly. When I would visit the farm I would bring my city dog, Annie and they would have best time playing together. Molly taught Annie how to herd pigs! 🤣 When we got married Molly went to live with my husband’s son, also a farmer. Although she was trained to not run out in the road to bark at cars she did and was killed. Believe me it was a very sad day for all of us.
I would title this column “The Revenge of Cricket.”
By the way, take a look at Mary Swander’s Ag Arts nonprofit…she’s very cool.
Cricket’s Revenge? Save two words?
Ha ha, yes!! Cricket was obviously a Democrat!
Or a Libertarian (lol)
Racoons don't eat from corn cribs, they tear up corn fields much the same as deer do. If you live near a timber and farm, you certaily know what that means. Since the state has taken racoons off its seasonal list of permited hunting, they are now fair game year round, not much different than rats. Dogs, no matter their age, get dumped by town people all the time because they don't want to pay someone to take them. Off to the country they go to be dumped along a gravel road, then drive off quickly. The same goes for cats. Simple neccessity for farm people is to eliminate the problem before someone gets attached to the animal. The last dog I was attached to was shot when he got hung up between two strands of barb wire and was found by hunters who mercifully shot him. In his delerium he had chewed off the wrong leg trying to get free and was starving to death hanging from the fence. When I returned from Vietnam, I noticed something was wrong, but couldn't put my finger on it. After a while I figured it out, the dog wasn't there to greet me! The previous year when I had come home on leave after several years absense, the dog had jumped into the back seat of the car with me so excited to see me again. That was what I was missing. Once I heard the story, that ended it. Farming and livestock are a way of life. You learn how far you can go with those connections. You understand when the suffering needs to end and end quickly, especially when there is only going to be more of the same if it isn't ended. That is the reality you must deal with. If every pig, chicken, cow, horse, cat or puppy had to wait to die, there wouldn't be a reason to farm! There would be no margin to live on, and you would be over-run with livestock that would eat you out of house and home! This is going to the extreme, but in order to make sense of this, it only works to take it there!
Thanks for your take, Steve.
The first movie I ever saw was Old Yeller. I get teary eyed to this day, as I recall that terrible scene where Yeller, infected with rabies from protecting his boy from infected wild boars, is put out of his misery with a shot- gun. It was a terrible ordeal for the boy who had to “ man-up” to send the dog to his maker.
Ms. Noem’s version of using her gun on her dog was, IMHO, proof of her incapacity to tell right from wrong; making her a danger to herself and society. Gun ownership is unfortunately, too often allowed to people like herself, leading to mass shootings and death by GSW (gun shot wound).
Instead of proving her ‘toughness’ by including this tale in her book, she has inadvertently shown yet one more case in point for the need of tough gun legislation. Why she is not, at the very least, tried for animal cruelty, is my immediate reaction. She certainly has made a name for herself as a cruel, demented, poor excuse for a human being. It may not be an impeachable offense, but the South Dakotans I know will never be giving her another term as governor.
When I was old enough to know more about dog behavior, I grew angry with the characters in Old Yeller. It was possible that Yeller did not indeed have Rabies but rather was reacting to being locked up in a shed for so long without attention. Who wouldn't be mad at that!
Oh my, what a ruckus. Our farm has always “inherited” dogs, mostly Labs, that failed my hunter brothers expectations in their hunter world. They have all been good dogs that our children grew up with. Shame on Noem.
Thanks, Denise. I'll bet you rolled your eyes about 19-year-old me taking a raccoon to college.
Well yes, sort of. I’m surprised the farm family wasn’t able to talk you out of such foolishness.
Ha, ha, ha…….
Yeah, well, you might have noticed it's not easy to talk me out of something.
I have several thoughts. As a late teen on our farm, I lived the same experience as John with a "runt" pig that really could not make it. That is a not good feeling, but it is a necessity. I did it but I never liked it. Then, had Noem's dog bitten three people making it dangerous, that would have been far different. Killing chickens is more instinctual and close to what's expected of the dog. It sounds as if she wanted to show toughness, but came off just sounding needlessly cruel. She demonstrated tone deafness, not astute politics. Finally, how strange that even some Republicans who talk of shooting migrants in the Rio Grande are troubled by shooting a puppy in a gravel pit.
Julie, this is brilliant. Instead of gaining a reputation as a rootin’ tootin’ shootin’ tough-as-nails conservative, the governor has managed instead to expose the needless cruelty that is at the core of her philosophy and that of many others. Truth comes in unexpected ways.
Thanks, Maura! Long live the Crickets of the world!