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.
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. 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 alleged that Haitian migrants in Springfield were abducting and eating pets, as well as waterfowl from local parks. Those rumors rapidly 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 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.
Despite city officials debunking the rumors, Rufo said in a post Wednesday that he is offering a monetary reward to anyone that can provide him with evidence of migrants eating cats in Springfield.
"I will provide a $5,000 bounty to anyone who can provide my team with hard, verifiable evidence that Haitian migrants are eating cats in Springfield, Ohio. Deadline is Sunday. Go." Rufo said in the post, which has about 23,000 likes and 3,300 retweets as of Saturday afternoon.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: JD Vance shares social media post about immigrants cooking pets in Dayton, city refutes it
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