JD Vance shares post about immigrants cooking pets in Dayton, Ohio; city refutes it

A new video shared by Republican vice-presidential nominee and Ohio Sen. JD Vance is continuing to fuel rumors about migrants abducting and eating pets in the state.

However, this time it says it's happening in Dayton, about 30 miles from Springfield. Springfield has been at the center of the immigration debate due to unproven claims that Haitian immigrants are killing pets.

A video of cats walking around a grill in a back yard posted Saturday by conservative activist Christopher F. Rufo was retweeted by Vance. Rufo is known for initiating the adversarial movement against critical race theory. Vance and other Republican influencers spread rumors earlier this week about Haitian migrants in Springfield eating pets.

"Kamala Harris and her media apparatchiks should be ashamed of themselves. Another 'debunked' story that turned out to have merit," Vance posted.

In the caption of Rufo's post, he claims the video is proof of migrants barbecuing and eating cats in Ohio.

However, Dayton Mayor Jeffrey Mims said in a statement Saturday afternoon that the claims are "baseless."

"This claim is totally false and dangerously irresponsible of politicians aiming to sow division and fear. There has been absolutely zero reports of this type of activity and spreading 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 also released a statement Saturday afternoon, saying the department "strongly refutes the irresponsible information being put out on social media or other avenues about our immigrant community."

"We stand by our immigrant community and there is no evidence to even remotely suggest that any group, including our immigrant community, is engaged in eating pets," Afzal said in the statement. "Seeing 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 about Springfield, a town of about 58,000, and its growing Haitian population have dominated the internet and national news.

The rumors rapidly spread on social media and were amplified by former President Donald Trump who mentioned the false claims during his debate with Vice President Kamala Harris on Tuesday.

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

"In Springfield, they are 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 during the debate.

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

"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," Springfield City Manager Bryan Heck said in a previous statement.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Dayton officials debunk rumors of migrants grilling, eating pets