While mainstream media outlets have falsely claimed that reports of pets and wild animals being killed and eaten by Haitian migrants in Springfield, Ohio, have been “debunked,” testimonials from residents and police reports that appear to validate the claims continue to emerge.
On Tuesday, resurfaced footage of a Springfield community meeting from March 12, 2024 in which a resident complained of missing pets that had been killed and “chopped up.” While several testimonials from residents have surfaced in recent weeks, both the Harris Campaign and friendly media outlets have claimed the reports and have been made up by former President Donald Trump.
Trump mentioned reports of pets and local wildlife being eaten in the small Ohio town during ABC’s presidential debate earlier this month, leading to an incorrect “fact check” from debate moderator David Muir. The exchange emerged as perhaps the most viral debate moment in the following days.
In reference to Haitian migrants — 20,000 of whom have been dumped in the town of 40,000 by the Biden-Harris Administration — a resident explained that the town’s “laws and culture is 180 degrees different than what they’re used to.”
And one of the things that I heard that bothered me very much, I’ve actually had quite a few people contact me here lately, is some pretty horrid things occurring to domesticated animals in the neighborhood. We’ve had some stuff in the park that, again, they’re being taken advantage,” the resident continued.
When the Springfield city manager, Bryan Heck, claimed that there is no evidence of the claims, the resident stated that “people that have confided in me, have asked me for anonymity.” Heck eventually conceded that he “has heard of,” the reports, but again claimed there is “no evidence.”
In addition to testimonials from residents, an emergency call report details an incident in which a resident asked for assistance with a group of Haitian migrants who were poaching geese in a local park.
“I’m sitting here. I’m riding on the trail going to my orientation for my job today. And I see a group of Haitian people. There was about four of them. They all had geese in their hand,” a Springfield resident reported on a non-emergency line.
In addition, the Heritage Foundation’s Oversight Project has obtained a call report detailing a report of a domesticated cat that was killed and “chopped up.”
According to the August 28 police report, a Springfield resident reported that her neighbors had stolen, and ultimately killed her cat. The woman reported that the neighbors in question were Haitian and claimed that her cat was abducted and “chopped up” in their yard.
The report further explained that the woman’s cat had been missing since August 24. Upon investigating her neighbor’s yard, she found “meat” and believed that it belonged to her cat.
Both the Harris Campaign and mainstream media outlets have accused Trump of “inciting hatred” for bringing attention to concerns from Springfield residents. Said groups have claimed that the town has been plagued by bomb threats and other threats of violence, though Ohio Governor Mike DeWiine has confirmed that the majority of threats have been traced to foreign actors.
