Man, every time I read something about this, I get more and more angry. I wish I could have taken this dog. I actually would have taken the time to train it and it would have been a good, happy dog. I keep going back to the day I brought my dog home from the pet store. He sat on my lap on the 40 mile ride home and was my (almost) constant companion for over 18 years. We hung out together on the couch, the beach, went on hikes, walks, went on many, many vacations together, and, when the time came, I buried him in our backyard. I still have 3 of his pups and see the 4th fairly regularly. All of them give me a great deal of joy and I don't really have the words to describe how I feel about someone who would engage in such cruelty to an animal that is totally dependent on you and needs your guidance.
EDIT: Just to add something.....this is someone that the people of South Dakota put their trust in to care for the people of their state. I sure as hell WANT her to be the VP pick, but as far as I'm concerned she'd do more good for humanity as a resident of a psychiatric facility than elected office.