Noem Dog Shooting Leads to Dog Lovers Caucus in Congress

Call them the Paw-cus.

A bipartisan group of lawmakers launched the Congressional Dog Lovers Caucus on Thursday — less than a week after South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem’s killing of her dog, which disgusted both Democrats and Republicans.

“Dogs are the only thing on earth that loves you more than themselves. Their joy of being alive brings Americans together from all walks of life and can help fuel bipartisanship in Congress,” Rep. Jared Moskowitz (D-Fla.) said in a statement.

“Given the recent dog-related news, it is clear that both sides of the aisle reject animal cruelty and support the protection of man’s best friend.”

Moskowitz, along with Reps. Susan Wild (D-Pa.) and Nancy Mace (R-S.C.), said they launched the Congressional Dog Lovers Caucus to share their love of dogs and their companions and build bipartisan common ground in the Congress to be found.

“We started this caucus to advocate for legislation that protects the rights and welfare of dogs, and to ensure they receive the care, respect and recognition they deserve,” Mace said in a statement.

Noem, the Republican governor — and former member of Congress — was slammed this past week over an excerpt from her upcoming memoir in which she details how she shot her 14-month-old puppy Cricket for misbehavior.

Noem claimed the puppy was “untrainable” after attacking livestock, so she shot Cricket in a gravel pit.

Noem’s rising popularity in the Republican Party appears to have placed her on former President Donald Trump’s short list of vice presidential candidates.

But the recent puppy killing scandal could now jeopardize her chances, especially as fellow Republicans express their disgust at Noem’s decision. She responded to the backlash. saying, “Tough decisions like this happen all the time on a farm.”

Moskowitz was one of several lawmakers who immediately weighed in.

Five days before the caucus started, Moskowitz — a freshman Democrat notorious for his online trolls — said posted an infomercial-style video Mocking Noem with the caption, “For just $0.10 a day you can help us save a Kristi Noem puppy.”