When man’s greatest good friend turns into a politician’s worst nightmare

World Courant

An lovely canine can soften a politician’s picture, create viral social media moments and assist voters establish with an office-seeker vying for his or her vote.

However take a misstep on the subject of the household pooch and put together to face the wrath of canine lovers all over the place.

South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem grew to become the most recent politician to face dog-related backlash after she admitted in her upcoming e book that, 20 years in the past, she shot and killed her 14-month-old canine, Cricket. In keeping with The Guardian, Noem writes that she “hated” the “aggressive” canine, who she says ruined a pheasant hunt and attacked her neighbor’s chickens.

The story created a firestorm on social media over the weekend and canine lovers from either side of the aisle condemned her determination to kill her canine. Noem, who has been floated as a attainable contender to be former President Donald Trump’s working mate, nonetheless stands by her determination from 20 years in the past.

Noem isn’t the primary politician to spark anger amongst critics from therapy of a canine through the years. Right here’s a take a look at politicians who’ve been condemned for his or her conduct towards their pet pups.

Joe Biden

President Joe Biden confronted fierce criticism after two of the primary household’s German shepherds have been concerned in a number of biting incidents.

Final 12 months it was reported that Biden’s 2-year-old German shepherd Commander was concerned in 11 biting incidents with White Home workers and the Secret Service. In February, CNN reported that Commander was concerned in 24 biting incidents with Secret Service personnel. Commander was faraway from the White Home campus in October.

Three years in the past, Main, additionally a German shepherd, was despatched to reside with pals of the household after his personal biting incidents.

The incident spurred motion from Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-N.C.), who despatched a letter to Biden and performing Labor Secretary Julie Su in October looking for to look at office security circumstances on the White Home.

Foxx instructed POLITICO that she wrote the letter to remind the White Home that it’s “not resistant to the legal guidelines of the land.”

“The President and First Woman care deeply concerning the security of those that work on the White Home and people who defend them day-after-day,” Elizabeth Alexander, the primary girl’s communications director, instructed POLITICO in October. “They continue to be grateful for the endurance and assist of the U.S. Secret Service and all concerned, as they proceed to work by means of options.”

Andrew Cuomo

After New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo resigned and moved out of the governor’s mansion practically three years in the past, the Albany newspaper Occasions Union reported that he wasn’t making an attempt to take his canine, Captain, with him.

Cuomo reportedly requested mansion workers members if anybody can be interested by caring for Captain, a 4-year-old mixture of shepherd, Siberian and malamute, who had nipped a couple of individuals since Cuomo adopted him in 2018, in line with the report.

Democrats and Republicans known as out Cuomo on social media for seemingly leaving his pup behind.

“Not solely the Worst Governor in America. The Worst Canine Proprietor in America.” Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.) wrote in a put up. “You may inform individuals’s character by how they deal with their animals.”

“I’ll take the pet,” Ron Kim, a New York State Democratic assemblymember, wrote on what was then known as Twitter.

Cuomo refuted the canine desertion claims, saying on social media that “Some individuals simply cannot get the information straight.”

“Sure, I used to be downstate monitoring storm response for a couple of days, however Captain and I are a person and his canine,” Cuomo wrote within the put up. “He’s a part of our household and that’s the way in which it would at all times be.”

Ted Cruz

Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) caught warmth three years in the past after a journalist posted a photograph of his household’s white, fluffy canine Snowflake searching the window of the senator’s darkish home whereas Cruz and his household traveled to Cancun throughout a statewide emergency.

The picture of the seemingly sidelined poodle instantly added to the backlash Cruz was already dealing with for flying his household in a foreign country throughout a storm that left thousands and thousands of Texans with out energy.

Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton took a jab at Cruz on X after the picture started to flow into, saying, “Don’t vote for anybody you wouldn’t belief along with your canine.”

Cruz denied that Snowflake had been left to fend for itself, saying that the canine had a sitter “and really the warmth and energy was again on.”

“I spend an excessive amount of time on Twitter, so I see apparently I’ve actually fed Snowflake to the wolves,” Cruz mentioned on the time.

Pam Bondi

Earlier than Pam Bondi was elected as Florida’s lawyer normal in 2010, she was concerned in a custody battle with Hurricane Katrina victims over a St. Bernard.

Bondi adopted the canine in 2005 after he was separated from his household throughout Hurricane Katrina. However a Louisiana household had been looking for their canine, initially named Grasp Tank however renamed by Bondi to Noah, and positioned his whereabouts in 2006.

Bondi refused to return him and accused the household of neglect as a result of the canine had been dealing with longer-term issues like heartworms. The household mentioned the canine had heartworms since he was 10 months previous, in line with St. Petersburg Occasions.

The household sued, and the dispute lasted 16 months because it performed out on CNN and Fox Information. Either side settled the case simply earlier than it went to trial and Bondi returned the canine to the household with meals and drugs.

Mitt Romney

Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah) continues to be reminded of an incident that concerned his Irish Setter Seamus regardless of it taking place many years in the past.

The story first surfaced in 2007 when The Boston Globe reported that in 1983, a 36-year-old Romney put the household canine in a crate on the roof of his automotive as a result of there was no room within the station wagon throughout a 12-hour automotive journey from Massachusetts to Canada. The canine ultimately bought sick and Romney stopped at a gasoline station to scrub the canine. Romney put Seamus again within the service, returned it to the highest of the automotive and proceeded with the remainder of the journey.

Romney later defended the choice, stating Seamus was in an “hermetic” kennel and that the canine climbed on high of the automotive commonly.

The story garnered fast condemnation from many politicians however particularly grew to become a favourite follow whack Romney with when he ran for president.

In the course of the 2012 presidential race, Republican rival Rick Santorum mentioned that voters want to contemplate if Romney is the “form of individual you need to be president of the US.” Additionally that 12 months, fellow rival Newt Gingrich got here out with an advert attacking Romney for the story. Former President Barack Obama additionally mocked Romney for the incident.

The saga even performed out on the March 2012 cowl of The New Yorker, which featured Romney driving a automotive with Santorum sticking his neck out of a doghouse that’s tied to the roof of the automobile.

When man’s greatest good friend turns into a politician’s worst nightmare

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