Trump, JD Vance repeat baseless claim Haitian immigrants are eating pets as Ohio officials say there is no evidence
Officials in Springfield, Ohio, said Monday they have not received any credible reports of Haitian immigrants abducting and eating pets, despite viral claims on social media that have been amplified by former President Donald Trump, Republican vice presidential nominee JD Vance and others.
References to the claim, which allege Haitian migrants have been eating cats, as well as ducks and geese, have garnered millions of views on X, with Vance's X post racking up 11.1 million views alone as of Wednesday morning. Vance, the Republican senator for Ohio, said he had previously raised the issue of Haitian immigrants "causing chaos all over Springfield," adding, "Reports now show that people have had their pets abducted and eaten by people who shouldn't be in this country."
Trump repeated the baseless claim in Tuesday night's debate with Democratic nominee Vice President Kamala Harris.
"In Springfield, they're eating the dogs — the people that came in, they're eating the cats. They're eating — they're eating the pets of the people that live there and this is what's happening in our country, and it's a shame," Trump said. When ABC anchor David Muir responded that city officials disputed that, Trump insisted he had seen people saying so on television.
His comments sent the topic "THEY'RE EATING THE DOGS" trending on social media following the debate, spawning thousands of posts discussing the false claim.
The House Judiciary GOP, Sen. Ted Cruz and Elon Musk, the owner of X, had posted Monday on social media about the claim. Cruz, a Texas Republican, posted a meme on X showing two cats holding each other, with text that reads "Please vote for Trump so Haitian immigrants don't eat us."
But the city's spokesperson told CBS News there have been "no credible reports or specific claims" of pets being harmed by migrants.
"In response to recent rumors alleging criminal activity by the immigrant population in our city, we wish to clarify that there have been no credible reports or specific claims of pets being harmed, injured or abused by individuals within the immigrant community," said Karen Graves, strategic engagement manager for Springfield.
The claim
While it's not possible to say where the claim originated, the Springfield News-Sun reported that it may be linked to a viral post in a Springfield Facebook group.
In the Facebook post, a person says a neighbor's daughter's friend lost her cat and later found it hanging from a branch near a Haitian neighbor's house, according to the Springfield News-Sun. Screenshots of the post have been circulating on X and other platforms, racking up thousands of likes and views.
The post appears to be in a private Facebook group; CBS News has not been able to independently verify the authenticity of the post.
Some social media users shared body camera footage of an unrelated incident in which an Ohio woman was accused of killing and eating a cat in Canton, a city more than 170 miles away from Springfield. Public records indicate the woman in the footage, Allexis Telia Ferrell, is not a migrant and has lived in Ohio for at least 18 years.
A photo of a Black man holding a goose has also been widely shared on social media, with some people alleging it is evidence that Haitian immigrants are eating geese in Springfield.
CBS News spoke to the Ohio man who took the photo. He wishes to remain anonymous for safety reasons, saying he's received threats after the photo went viral.
He said he took the photo on July 28 and posted it on Reddit in the Ohio and Columbus subreddits because "you don't normally see a guy walking down the street with a goose."
The image is not from Springfield. CBS News has verified the image was taken in Columbus.
The Reddit user said he regrets taking the photo and "hates" that it's being shared by right-wing accounts on social media.
Musk replied "!!" to an article posted on X that featured the image. The photo was also posted by the X account End Wokeness, which has a history of posting content critical of migrants, where it was viewed nearly 5 million times.
Leann Castillo, executive director for the Clark County Park District, said there has been "no evidence or reports" of people eating pets or wildlife in Clark County parks.
"People have contacted us to inquire, but we do not have any knowledge of this taking place," Castillo said.
The photographer was also critical of Vance's spreading of the falsehood about immigrants and pets. "Instead of trying to build up his state, instead he's trying to make the state look bad — by spreading fake stories and b******t for political gain," he said.
Social media users are also sharing AI images in connection with the claims about Haitian migrants. One AI-created image shows Trump holding a cat in each arm, running through a crowd of Black people. The caption reads: "The kittens of Springfield have only one hope."
Springfield, a city of just under 58,000 people, has seen a large increase in migrants arriving in the last several years.
There are an estimated 12,000 to 15,000 migrants in Ohio's Clark County, with more than 10,000 coming from Haiti, according to local officials. The Springfield-based Haitian Community Help and Support Center was established in 2023 to help assist migrants, especially Haitains, arriving in Clark County.
In addition to dispelling rumors about harm to pets, the city's spokesperson said there were no confirmed instances of migrants squatting, littering or deliberately disrupting traffic.