Internet freaks out as Kristi Noem poses with new hunting dog: Please dont kill him

Canine-killing former Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem is being ridiculed over an online photo she posted of herself and her new hunting dog — with social-media users urging her not to off him, too.“This poor dog is staring at the camera like he’s on death row,” wrote Tommy Vietor, a former Obama National Security Council staffer, on X — referring to the snap of Noem with the pooch.Noem took to X on Saturday to mark the opening of pheasant hunting season, sharing a photo of herself with her dog Foster and declaring that the sport was a family tradition worth preserving.“Pheasant hunting is part of who we are, and it’s a tradition worth passing on to our kids and grandkids,” Noem wrote.But the post quickly drew attention for a different reason: Noem’s controversial history of shooting and killing her own family pet.“Please don’t kill him,” users pleaded in the comments, reviving a controversy that dogged Noem in 2024 when she revealed in her memoir she had shot and killed her 14-month-old dog, Cricket.Other users piled on, with one sharing an AI-edited version of the photo that made the dog appearing very concerned.In her memoir, “No Going Back,” Noem described taking Cricket on a pheasant hunt, where the young dog failed to behave as expected.She wrote that Cricket killed a neighbor’s chickens and attempted to bite her when she tried to restrain the animal.Noem ultimately took the dog to a gravel pit and shot her dead, describing Cricket as “untrainable” and dangerous.The revelation sparked widespread outrage among animal lovers and drew national attention as Noem was being discussed as a potential running mate for President Trump in the 2024 presidential election.Noem defended her dog-killing decision at the time, arguing that it was a difficult but necessary choice on a farm and saying she was tired of politicians pretending to be something they are not.“I can understand why some people are upset about a 20-year-old stor...