A post on Facebook sharing the narrative included an image with the text: “Springfield Ohio residents are warning their pets and wildlife like ducks and geese are being eaten by Haitians.”
Republican vice-presidential candidate JD Vance amplified the narrative about “Haitian illegal immigrants” in a Sept. 9 post on X that said, “Reports now show that people have had their pets abducted and eaten by people who shouldn’t be in this country.”
However, Springfield police and officials have said in response to the narrative that there are no widespread instances of Haitian immigrants stealing pets to eat them.
In a statement on Tuesday, a Springfield police spokesperson said, “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.”
BODYCAM VIDEO
Some social media posts present bodycam footage of a woman’s arrest in Canton, Ohio for killing and eating a cat to support the online narratives, but Canton, Ohio police spokesperson Dennis Garren said in an email: “The suspect in this case is not a Haitian immigrant,” “She is a life long Canton resident.”
The graphic video, viewable on YouTube, shows the Aug. 16 arrest of Allexis Telia Ferrell, who allegedly killed and ate a cat in Canton. Stark County Commons Pleas Court records for Ferrell shows she was charged with cruelty to companion animals.