Washington DC, United States

Across bi-partisan lines, a group of US House members have launched a 'Dog Lovers Caucus,' dedicated to man's best friend amid the puppy killing controversy involving Donald Trump's potential running mate Kristi Noem.

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Taking to X, Rep. Jared Moskowitz (D-Fla.), one of the people behind the caucus, said "In light of recent events, we're launching the Congressional Dog Lovers Caucus today!". 

"This group dedicated to man’s best friend aims to foster bipartisan cooperation and will help put paws over politics," he added.

Along with this was a collage of photos featuring Representatives Nancy Mace (R-SC.) and Susan Wild (D-Pa), alongside Moskowitz, each holding a dog.

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What is Kristi Noem's 'Puppy Killer' controversy

Kristi Noem, the South Dakota Governor and a potential running mate of Donald Trump for 2024, recently shocked Americans by publishing details of how she killed her family dog 'Cricket'.

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In her forthcoming memoir, No Going Back, Noem, according to excerpts published by The Guardian, wrote, "I hated that dog."

She describes how after a hunting excursion gone awry, she took the "untrainable" 14-month-old puppy to a gravel pit and shot her. 

Noem, in her book, details how Cricket spoiled a pheasant hunt with her "excitement," before killing several chickens belonging to a local family.

"It was not a pleasant job, but it had to be done," she wrote.

Also read | 'Extortion' allegations and more: Here's what happened on Day 10 of Trump hush money trial

She then goes on to describe how she killed a "nasty and mean" goat.

Noem is in the 'dog house' for her revelation.

In America, dogs occupy a special place in people's hearts and leaders, as per AFP, "often get pilloried when they mistreat canines," a fact Donald Trump knows too well.

In 2017, he faced dog drama when his critics noted the fact that Trump, who is once again in the race to the White House, was the only US President in more than 100 years without a presidential canine companion.

Cruella de Vil

Shocked by Noem's story, citizens were quick to label her Cruella, after the notorious character from Disney's 101 Dalmatians.

President Joe Biden's team too jumped at the opportunity, posting "Trump VP contender Kristi Noem brags about shooting her 14-month-old puppy to death".

Calling reports of the shooting 'fake news', Noem in an interview with Fox News said that the dog in question was "extremely dangerous" and deserved her fate.

Also read | Trump VP contender, South Dakota governor Kristi Noem, defends killing her 14-month-old dog

"You know how the fake news works," she said, adding "They leave out some or most of the facts of a story, they put the worst spin on it. And that's what’s happened in this case."

"I hope people really do buy this book, and they find out the truth of the story because the truth of the story is that this was a working dog, and it was not a puppy. It was a dog that was extremely dangerous," she claimed.

(With inputs from agencies)