Dayton officials dismiss rumors of migrants grilling, eating pets

A new viral video shared by Republican vice presidential candidate and Ohio Sen. JD Vance continues to fuel rumors of migrants abducting and eating pets in the state.

But this time it says it’s happening in Dayton, about 30 miles from Springfield.

the video, posted X Saturday morning by a user named Christopher F. Rufo, shows what appear to be skinned animals atop a small charcoal grill in the front yard of a home. A couple of live cats could also be seen roaming the yard around the grill.

The post quickly gained traction on the social media platform, garnering over 33,000 likes and 15,000 retweets as of Saturday afternoon. Two of those retweets came from Vance – who, along with other Republican influencers, spread rumors earlier this week about Haitian migrants in Springfield eating pets—and Donald Trump Jr.

“Kamala Harris and her media apparatus should be ashamed of themselves. Another ‘exposed’ story that turned out to have merit,” Vance wrote.

In the caption of the post, the user claims the video is proof that migrants are eating cats in Ohio.

“We’ve discovered that migrants are actually eating cats in Ohio,” the caption reads. “We have verified, with multiple witnesses and visual cross-references, that African migrants in Dayton, the next town over from Springfield, barbecued these cats last summer.”

But Dayton Mayor Jeffrey Mims said in a statement on Saturday afternoon that he refutes rumors that Dayton’s immigrant and refugee population eats pets, calling the claims “baseless.”

“This claim is completely false and dangerously irresponsible by politicians who aim to sow division and fear. There have been absolutely zero reports of this type of activity and the spread of such misinformation undermines our status as a welcoming city,” Mims said in his statement. “The City of Dayton stands by its immigrant and refugee community and we value all of their contributions to our city’s vibrant culture and economy. We will remain committed to creating an inclusive environment for all Dayton residents.”

Dayton Police Chief Kamran Afzal as well released a statement on Saturday afternoonsays the department “strongly opposes the irresponsible information being posted on social media or other avenues about our immigrant community.”

“We stand by our immigrant community and there is no evidence that even remotely suggests that any group, including our immigrant community, is engaged in pet eating,” Afzal said in the statement. “To see politicians or other individuals use outlandish information to appeal to their constituents is disheartening.”

Dayton police and city officials did not immediately respond to requests for further comment.

Dayton is the second Ohio city to be at the center of pet-eating rumors. Earlier this week, rumors of Springfielda city of about 58,000, and its growing Haitian population has dominated the Internet and national news.

Rumors claimed that Haitian migrants in Springfield kidnapped and ate pets, as well as waterfowl from local parks. These rumors quickly spread on social media and were even mentioned by former President Donald Trump during his debate with Vice President Kamala Harris on Tuesday.

Fact check: Ohio woman accused of eating cat is from Canton, not Springfield

“In Springfield, they eat the dogs, the people that came in, they eat the cats. They eat the pets of the people that live there,” Trump said during the debate.

However, Springfield police and city officials and that Ohio Department of Natural Resources all said there is no evidence that pets, ducks or geese have been eaten.

“In response to recent rumors of criminal activity by the immigrant population in our city, we want to clarify that there have been no credible reports or specific allegations that pets have been injured, harmed or abused by individuals within the immigrant community.” Springfield City Manager Bryan Heck said in an earlier statement.