one reason, and one reason only... she thought it would curry favor with the dipshit at the top of the republican ticket. cruelty is a feature, not a bug.
oddly, i haven't heard any response from him. maybe this doesn't disqualify her. well, not with him, because he wanted the most attractive option.
anyway, it kinda is a dem vs rep issue... no chance in hell a dem would ever brag about killing a dog. or any other form of animal abuse. the politicians you keep voting for are constantly trying to outdo each other with their acts of cruelty. HEY, LET'S PUT BARBED WIRE IN THE RIO GRANDE!! oh, it's ok if it's brown people desperate for a better life?
anyway, it does give me a shred of hope for you, hearing that you love your cat. i love dogs and cats, but you can't leave dogs for a few days while you take a trip. and you don't have to walk cats in the middle of a blizzard. so we have cats. two of which are the first real pets I ever had (goldfish just don't count). they are 16 now and i already dread when the time comes.
so, yeah, what noem did is inconceivable to me. there are no bad dogs, only bad owners. if she was unable to properly train the dog, she should have given it away. the fact that she thought shooting it was her best option... she's a horrible human being.