Unveiling the Truth: The Misconception Surrounding the Dog Allegedly Shot by Kristi Noem

The photo of the dog that many believed South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem had shot and killed has gone viral on social media. It has been featured in a major newspaper in the United Kingdom and shared by an animal rights group in Washington, DC, criticizing Noem. When I searched for "Kristi Noem's dog" this morning, it was one of the top images that appeared.

However, it turns out that the dog in the photo is not actually Noem's.

In today's age of deepfakes and artificial intelligence, it's crucial to remember that even in this election year, we can still be fooled by simpler forms of misinformation. This is especially true when it involves a cute puppy.

The mix-up regarding the dog's identity may bring relief to the actual dog in the photo (reported to be safe and sound), but it also highlights how effortlessly we can come across and spread unverified viral misinformation.

Reddit has individual forums called “subreddits,” and there are countless ones dedicated to dogs. Last year, user “LukeWarm273” shared a picture of their dog “Blue” on the “Puppy” subreddit.

A recent report by NewsGuard, a journalism organization that evaluates the credibility of news websites and monitors online disinformation campaigns, highlighted a Reddit post.

"This is Blue, he's 3/4 German Wirehaired pointer and 1/4 shorthair pointer!" shared LukeWarm273.

One Reddit user commented on Blue, saying, "He's a cutie." Another user wrote, "He's adorable! I love his little nose."

The following day, LukeWarm273 shared more cute pictures of Blue. They expressed gratitude for the kind words and support from the community, stating, "Everyone's kind words made me want to share some more photos of my Blue! Honestly love this community!"

But last month, Blue's photo started appearing all over the internet, over a year after LukeWarm273 first shared a picture of Blue on Reddit.

Noem caused shock and outrage when she admitted in her book that she had shot and killed her dog Cricket. She claimed Cricket had attacked chickens, bitten her, and was impossible to train. Noem was once a potential pick for former President Donald Trump's vice president, but CNN had reported that she was no longer under consideration long before this controversy arose.

The story quickly became a hot topic across the country and sparked a lot of online activity.

After the news broke, one user on X wrote, "Let's all send Cricket (the dog Kristi Noem shot) off with love to the place where all the good dogs go."

The user posted a picture with the message, but it wasn't a picture of Cricket; it was a picture of Blue. The post has been viewed nearly 600,000 times on X.

Actor Mark Hamill also joined the conversation on X, expressing his sadness with a broken heart emoji in response to the photo.

It's uncertain how the X user came across the photo of Blue, and it remains a mystery as to who was the first to wrongly connect the photo of Blue to Noem. The picture was shared on X by two notable users, each with around 900,000 followers, but they have both taken it down.

The photo made an appearance in a story about Noem on The Telegraph's website, a renowned and long-standing newspaper in Britain. This article, along with the photo, was then shared through Yahoo! News, reaching an even larger audience.

This image displays a news story from The Telegraph featuring Noem explaining her choice to euthanize her dog. The story includes a picture of Blue, the dog belonging to Reddit user LukeWarm273, alongside Noem.

The photo, titled “The Dog Killed By Trump’s Possible Vice Presidential Pick,” was featured on the “community” section of Daily Kos, a well-liked progressive website that has over a million fans on Facebook.

Staff at NewsGuard discovered that a Washington, DC-based animal rights group had unintentionally included the image in a press release criticizing Noem's decisions.

Despite the mistake, the group, Animal Wellness Action, utilized a press release distribution service that automatically shares releases on various local news websites nationwide. As a result, the release and the dog photo appeared on the websites of at least 11 local TV stations in states such as Florida, Nevada, and South Carolina, as reported by NewsGuard.

Joseph Grove, senior director of communications for Animal Wellness Action, explained to CNN that their writer had based the information on widespread news coverage and the popularity of the photo. The assumption was made that the dog in the picture was Cricket, as it had been featured on platforms like Yahoo News and the Daily Kos. In hindsight, Grove acknowledged the necessity of verifying facts for the credibility of Animal Wellness Action and the Center for a Humane Economy.

Following the incident, Animal Wellness Action has taken steps to request a clarification from the press release service.

CNN has contacted The Telegraph for a comment. The correction added by Daily Kos to their post clarified that the image was not of Noem's deceased dog.

LukeWarm273 did not reply to CNN's request for comment. The user, who prefers to stay anonymous according to NewsGuard, confirmed to NewsGuard that the viral picture is actually their dog.

Fake photos can easily go viral without fancy editing tools like Photoshop or AI, according to NewsGuard enterprise editor Jack Brewster. The story highlights how a simple Reddit post about cute puppies led to a major false narrative spreading across news sites and social media.

When false information spreads, especially on controversial topics, it can cause even more problems. Ben Decker, CEO of Memetica, a company that monitors online disinformation, explains that during heated news cycles, emotional reactions can blur the lines between truth and falsehood. This can further strengthen false narratives with misleading context.

Joan Donovan, an assistant professor of journalism and emerging media studies at Boston University, discussed how online platforms reward those who create viral content. For instance, X now shares revenue with users whose content goes viral, although X emphasizes that the content should be truthful. Content that evokes strong emotions, such as heartwarming videos or cute puppy pictures, tend to spread quickly online.

According to Donovan, it is crucial to be cautious about who you trust online, as there are significant rewards, such as money and influence, for gaining attention and engagement. This dynamic encourages individuals to manipulate or fabricate stories in order to appear as though they have exclusive information.

LukeWarm273 expressed his displeasure with the misuse of his dog's image. He believed that even though it was true that Noem had killed her own dog, it was not right to use a cute dog's image online to further upset people. LukeWarm273 confirmed that his dog, Blue, is alive and described him as a good and protective pet.

Editor's P/S:

The viral