JD Vance Shares Social Media Post About Immigrants Cooking Pets in Dayton

A new viral 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, the epicenter of recent unproven claims that allege Haitian immigrants are killing pets.

The video was posted on X Saturday morning by Christopher F. Rufo, a prominent conservative activist who initiated the adversarial movement against critical race theory. The video shows what seems to be skinned animals on top of a small charcoal grill in the yard of a home. A couple of live cats could also be seen roaming the yard around the grill.

Kamala Harris and her media apparatchiks should be ashamed of themselves.

Another “debunked” story that turned out to have merit. https://t.co/dOyh9oTXhb

— JD Vance (@JDVance) September 14, 2024

The post quickly gained traction on the social media platform, amassing over 33,000 likes and and 15,000 retweets as of Saturday afternoon. Two of those retweets were 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 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 eating cats in Ohio.

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

However, Dayton Mayor Jeffrey Mims said in a statement Saturday afternoon that he refutes the rumors of Dayton’s immigrant and refugee population eating pets and called the claims “baseless.”

“This claim is totally false and dangerously irresponsible of politicians aiming to sow division and fear. {snip}” 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.”

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