'A bullet to the head': Conservative gives rare defense of Kristi Noem's dog killing

South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem isn't finding many defenders even in right-wing media after she revealed that she killed Cricket, a family dog, on the grounds that it was "less than worthless" as a hunting animal.

However, The Daily Wire's Michael Knowles on Monday gave defending Noem his best shot, even as he emphasized that it was a bad political move to boast about killing a 14-month-old dog.

"Noem didn't do anything wrong," Knowles declared. "You might say it wasn't advisable, you might say there are better things she could have done, she could have tried to give the dog up for adoption, she could have tried to train the dog."

All the same, said Knowles, the decision to forgo these options and shoot the dog in the head was entirely indefensible.

"There is nothing wrong with a human humanely killing an animal," he said. "Many of you are eating meat right now."

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Knowles then suggested that anyone upset about Noem shooting her dog in the head and boasting about how much she "hated" it in a book was the kind of person who would put their pets in a baby stroller.

Turning back to Noem, Knowles said that the South Dakota governor wasn't torturing the dog, which he acknowledged would be "wrong" on the grounds that it would "deaden" her own humanity.

He then praised Noem for the swiftness with which she ended the dog's life.

"A bullet to the head is about as humane a way as you can put down any animal," he emphasized.

Ever since leaked excerpts of the book revealed the dog-killing story, the South Dakota governor has been on the defensive, and she took to Twitter on Sunday to try to justify her actions.

"The fact is, South Dakota law states that dogs who attack and kill livestock can be put down," claimed Noem. "Given that Cricket had shown aggressive behavior toward people by biting them, I decided what I did. Whether running the ranch or in politics, I have never passed on my responsibilities to anyone else to handle. Even if it’s hard and painful. I followed the law and was being a responsible parent, dog owner, and neighbor. As I explained in the book, it wasn't easy. But often the easy way isn't the right way."

Watch the video below or at this link.