J.D. Vance Posts Baseless Claim That Haitian Immigrants Are Eating Pets in Ohio as Officials Say It's Not True

Mar. 15, 2025

J.D. Vance in Milwaukee in July 2024.Photo:PATRICK T. FALLON/AFP via Getty

PATRICK T. FALLON/AFP via Getty

Officials in Springfield, Ohio are refuting a baseless claim that Haitian migrants have been eating pets, which Sen.J.D. Vanceshared on X on Monday, Sept. 9.

Karen Graves, strategic engagement manager for Springfield, told PEOPLE the city has not received any credible reports of Haitian immigrants abducting and eating pets.

The post has garnered more than 5 million views at the time of publication.Elon MuskandSen. Ted Cruzhave also posted memes referring to the baseless claims.

“Additionally, there have been no verified instances of immigrants engaging in illegal activities such as squatting or littering in front of residents' homes,” Graves continued. “Furthermore, no reports have been made regarding members of the immigrant community deliberately disrupting traffic.”

J.D. Vance in February 2024.Anna Moneymaker/Getty

Anna Moneymaker/Getty

Though it is unclear where exactly the false claim comes from,Springfield News-Sunreported that it’s probably linked to a viral post in a private Springfield Facebook group. The post reportedly included a claim that one neighbor’s daughter’s friend lost her cat and then allegedly found the deceased cat hanging from a branch near a Haitian neighbor’s house, per theSpringfield News-Sun.

Social media users then recirculated body camera footage of an unrelated incident of an Ohio woman being accused of killing and eating a cat in Canton, a city more than 170 miles away from Springfield. The woman was identified and is not a migrant, having lived in Ohio for at least 18 years, perCBS News.

Some social media users began sharing AI images in connection to claims about Haitian migrants. One popular image includes Vance’s running-mate, former presidentDonald Trump, holding a cat in each arm, with the caption: “The kittens of Springfield have only one hope.”

Springfield recently saw an uptick in migrants in the past few years, with approximately 12,000 to 15,000 migrants in Clark County, Ohio, according tothe city’s website. Migrants from Haiti are legally in the country under the Immigration Parole Program, the city’s website notes.

Donald Trump and J.D. Vance.AP Photo/Michael Conroy

AP Photo/Michael Conroy

The racist rhetoric has led to civil rights groups stepping in, including the Springfield NAACP.  “Frankly, it’s embarrassing,” Denice D Williams of Springfield NAACP toldNPRin August.

Officer Jason Via, the deputy director of public safety and operations in Springfield, also told NPR last month that he’s seen no evidence to support racist claims.

“I think it’s sad that some people are using this as an opportunity to spread hate or spread fear,” Via told NPR. “We get these reports, ‘The Haitians are killing ducks in a lot of our parks’ or ‘The Haitians are eating vegetables right out of the aisle at the grocery store.’ "

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“And we haven’t really seen any of that,” Via continued. “It’s really frustrating. As a community, it’s not helpful as we try to move forward.”

source: people.com