JD Vance says Haitian immigrants are eating pets, but Ohio officials say there’s no proof.

Officials in Springfield, Ohio, clarified on Monday that they have not received any credible reports of Haitian immigrants abducting and eating pets, despite viral claims circulating on social media that have been amplified by various public figures.

Allegations of Haitian migrants consuming cats, ducks, and geese have spread widely across social media platforms, with Republican vice presidential nominee JD Vance’s post alone garnering 4 million views. Vance, a Republican senator for Ohio, claimed that Haitian immigrants were causing chaos in Springfield, alleging that pets were being abducted and eaten by individuals who should not be in the country.

Several other prominent figures, including the House Judiciary GOP, Sen. Ted Cruz, and Elon Musk, also shared posts about the claim. Cruz even posted a meme showing two cats with text urging people to vote for Trump to prevent Haitian immigrants from eating pets.

However, the city’s spokesperson, Karen Graves, refuted these claims, stating that there have been no credible reports or specific claims of pets being harmed by migrants in Springfield. Graves emphasized that recent rumors alleging criminal activity by the immigrant population in the city were unfounded.

While the exact origin of the claim remains unclear, it may have originated in a viral post within a Springfield Facebook group. The post detailed a story where a neighbor’s daughter’s friend allegedly found her cat hanging from a tree near a Haitian neighbor’s house. Screenshots of the post circulated on social media platforms, attracting thousands of likes and views.

Additionally, some social media users shared unrelated footage of an incident in which an Ohio woman was accused of killing and eating a cat in Canton, a city over 170 miles away from Springfield. Public records revealed that the woman, identified as Allexis Telia Ferrell, is not a migrant and has been living in Ohio for over 18 years.

Social media users have also shared AI-generated images related to the claim about Haitian migrants, including one that depicts Trump holding two cats, running through a crowd of Black people. The caption on the image reads: “The kittens of Springfield have only one hope.”

Springfield, with a population of nearly 58,000 people, has experienced a significant influx of migrants in recent years. Local officials estimate that there are 12,000 to 15,000 migrants in Clark County, Ohio, with over 10,000 of them originating from Haiti. The Haitian Community Help and Support Center in Springfield was established in 2023 to assist migrants, particularly Haitians, arriving in Clark County.

Aside from refuting rumors about harm to pets, the city’s spokesperson emphasized that there have been no confirmed instances of migrants squatting, littering, or deliberately disrupting traffic in Springfield.

These clarifications come amid a wave of misinformation and sensationalized claims circulating on social media, highlighting the importance of verifying information before sharing it online. Layla Ferris is a verification producer with CBS News Confirmed, specializing in breaking news coverage, visual verification, and open-source research.