Cricket’s Revenge: Dogs Bite Back Against Kristi Noem With New Halloween Costume From PETA

For Immediate Release:
May 8, 2024

Contact:
David Perle 202-483-7382

After South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem bragged in her book about angrily dragging a rambunctious puppy named Cricket into a gravel pit and shooting her at point-blank range, killing her with no thought of trying to train her or adopt her out to someone who could show her love and patience instead, PETA is announcing a limited-edition Halloween costume—called “Cricket’s Revenge”—featuring a mask of Noem’s face with devil horns and a camo hat imprinted with “Noem: Puppy Killer,” a fake gun, and the pièce de résistance: a stuffed dog to “bite” the neck of the wearer, adorned with a bandanna that reads, “Take a Bite out of Cruelty.” The one-of-a-kind get-up is available for preorder at the PETA Shop, and all proceeds will benefit PETA’s lifesaving work.

“Anyone cruel enough to blow a rambunctious puppy’s brains out instead of attempting to train her or find her a more responsible guardian is scarier than any horror movie villain,” says PETA President Ingrid Newkirk. “With PETA’s Kristi Noem costume, dog lovers everywhere can strike terror in their friends as the most ghoulish monster at their Halloween party.”

PETA urges everyone to consider whether they have the time, patience, and other resources necessary to socialize and train a dog before adding one to the family. Humane dog training uses only positive reinforcement—never fear, intimidation, or painful methods such as shock collars, which Noem admits to having used on Cricket prior to killing her.

PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to abuse in any way”—points out that Every Animal Is Someone and offers free Empathy Kits for people who need a lesson in kindness. For more information, please visit PETA.org or follow the group on X, Facebook, or Instagram.