General Discussion

n the excerpt, Noem writes she attempted to tame the dog, who she said behaved “like a trained assassin,” with an electronic collar, but ultimately made the decision to put her down by shooting her in a gravel pit after an incident in which the dog attacked a local family’s chickens and bit her.

“It was not a pleasant job,” Noem writes, according to The Guardian, “but it had to be done. And after it was over, I realized another unpleasant job needed to be done.”

Next, the Guardian quotes excerpts of the book in which Noem shoots a goat in the same manner. Noem describes the goat as “nasty and mean” and having a “disgusting, musky, rancid” smell. The goat made a habit of chasing and knocking down her kids, Noem adds.

Aiming to distinguish herself from typical politicians, Noem writes, “I guess if I were a better politician I wouldn’t tell the story here.”