Do immigrants in Ohio literally have a hunger for pets? That shocking rumor has rapidly gained traction after some conservative politicians and others pushed the narrative.
Those baseless claims that Haitian immigrants are abducting and eating pets in a small Ohio town have sparked fear and tension among residents, despite local officials’ efforts to debunk the rumors.
The controversy all started with a viral social media post alleging that Haitian immigrants in Springfield, Ohio were responsible for the disappearance of a local cat, according to multiple news sources.
The rumor quickly spread, amplified by GOP leaders like former President Donald Trump and his running mate, J.D. Vance. In fact, during the debate between the former president and Vice President Kamala Harris, Trump doubled down on those claims. But an ABC News debate moderator quickly debunked it.
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“In Springfield, they’re eating the dogs. The people that came in, they’re eating the cats, they’re eating the pets of the people that live there,” Trump said.
Local officials were swift to address the allegations. A spokesperson for the city of Springfield told ABC News, “There have been no credible reports or specific claims of pets being harmed, injured, or abused by individuals in the immigrant community.”
And the Springfield Police Department confirmed that they have not received any reports of pets being stolen and eaten. In a public statement posted on Facebook, Springfield City Manager Bryan Heck criticized the unfounded rumors.
“It is disappointing that some of the narrative surrounding our city has been skewed by misinformation circulating on social media and further amplified by political rhetoric in the current highly charged election cycle,” Heck said.
The situation in Springfield is a stark reminder of the power of misinformation and the damage it can cause. As the town grapples with the fallout, the Haitian community continues to speak out against the rumors.
It has even triggered a national discussion, with some Black celebrities expressing outrage over the issue. Black actress Garcelle Beauvais is part of the Haitian community and called the rumors racist.
“The lies that have been spewed about the Haitian community about my community have been disgusting, deeply hurtful and dangerous,” Beauvais said in an Instagram post. “Now this is not about politics, it’s about humanity. We must condemn this kind of hatred, this kind of racism, for anyone.”
The false rumors also triggered Wittenberg University, which is located in Springfield, to cancel events and go on lockdown after receiving campus shooting threats targeting Haitian people on campus.
The university said in a campus community alert that it is “currently taking extreme precautions following an email that threatened a potential shooting on campus” on September 15. And “the message targeted Haitian members of our community.”
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine said the claims aren’t credible. “There’s a lot of garbage on the Internet,” DeWine said. “There’s no evidence of this at all.”
Even billionaire Elon Musk joined in on the spread of misinformation, reposting claims on X from a Republican strategist that 20,000 Haitian immigrants who moved in were killing and eating residents’ pets. “Vote for Kamala if you want this to happen to your neighborhood!” Musk wrote, while sharing an AI-generated picture of a duckling and kitten with the caption, “Save them.”
Meanwhile, the Haitian population in Springfield has grown by around 15,000-20,000 in the last four years, a Newsweek report said. Many of these immigrants are in the United States legally under the Temporary Protected Status program and have been drawn to Springfield by the low cost of living and job opportunities.
Alimemby Estimable, a 19-year-old Haitian who has lived in Springfield for four years, spoke to USA Today about the situation. He said he’s been referred to as a “dirty Haitian” and an “illegal.”
Estimable has heard a lot of shocking claims about Haitians in his town, he noted.
“I’ve been seeing a lot of people talking about a lot of stuff that’s not accurate. You know, saying, like, all Haitians are cutting ducks’ necks and eating them at the park and like, they’re running into trash cans and homes and stuff. I ain’t never seen a Haitian do that before. I’m just keeping it real, because I’m a Haitian myself,” he told USA Today.
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