People across the country are outraged with Governor Kristi Noem of South Dakota. In her new memoir, she proudly tells the story of the day she killed her 14-month-old puppy, Cricket. Cricket was a hunting dog who was not yet skilled at the art of the hunt. Noem became angry with him one day when he ruined a hunt by enthusiastically running and playing. Though not good on hunting trips, Cricket was good at catching the neighbor’s chickens, killing the birds as he had been taught for the hunt. He did what he was being trained to do, just at the wrong time.

Noem wrote that she “hated that dog” and claimed he exhibited aggression. She called him “untrainable” and “less than worthless.” These are the reasons Noem gives for shooting the dog that day. This puppy did not live up to her lofty expectations during his short life, so she led him to a gravel pit and shot him. His breed is not fully mature until they are two years old. At only 14 months old Cricket was a baby with a long life ahead of him.  

Cricket wasn’t the only animal Noem took her anger out on that day, she also killed a goat on the farm. Noem continued her story with, “Walking back up to the yard, I spotted our billy goat,” whom Noem claimed would chase and butt her children and had a “wretched smell”, on the same day as killing Cricket. She decided to kill the goat on a whim while her anger was flowing. After tying him to a pole she shot him with a shotgun but was unable to kill him with the first shot, leaving him to suffer in terror and horrific pain while she had to go find more shotgun shells.

Most recently, Noem “put down” three horses with a shotgun simply because they were older instead of calling a vet to humanely euthanize them. Noem’s hope in telling the story of Cricket was that she would be viewed as a strong and decisive leader who would do whatever was necessary in her job.

Noem’s Cruelty Exposes The Meat Paradox

If this story infuriates and frustrates you, consider this. Most Americans eat animals and their byproducts. Their continued demand and financial support of the meat, dairy, and egg industries fuels billions of deaths every year. Every single animal that is slaughtered for consumption is a baby, just like Cricket. Not even one reaches as much as a sixth of their predicted lifespan. If you are one of these meat-consuming Americans, you are not dissimilar to Noem. The only difference is she does her own dirty work. Carnivores pay someone to do it for them.  

So why are we furious when someone kills a puppy (as well as a goat and three horses in Noem’s case) but complacent when billions of baby animals are butchered each year? Why is one animal more important than another when they are both equally intelligent and sentient? When we consume meat, we intentionally turn a blind eye to the suffering of others. Why? Because it would be a lot harder to eat meat if we had to witness and recognize the atrocities these babies endure. This behavior is known as the Meat Paradox. We know that it is wrong and cruel to murder a sentient being, but we choose to look the other way because knowing the truth does not benefit us. We can buy into the “happy little farm animal” myth and enjoy a guilt-free meal.  

The truth is these beautiful beings are indeed intelligent and aware. They are smart, and they exhibit feelings. They know fear and pain just like you or I do. They want to live happy, safe, and free lives, just like we do. But the cruel reality is these babies do not even make it past the toddler stage of their lives. Some of these animals could live to be 15 or 20 years old. Instead, their lives are cut short to a few months or years, all for the benefit and enjoyment of humans. For context, the next time you see a farm, compare it to the nearest preschool. That is how young these babies are.  

Consider this the next time you tuck into a meat-filled meal: “Animals that people consume were killed as babies or toddlers, relative to their natural life span.” We know better, but we refuse to acknowledge the truth. It is much easier to make decisions that harm others when we ignore vital facts. All animals, whether dogs, pigs, cows, or birds, deserve and desire kindness. Who are we to take these things from them?