Top Ohio Officials Respond to Claims of Springfield Pets Being Eaten

A sign hangs from a streetlight at the intersection of Main Street and Fountain Avenue in Springfield, Ohio, on Sept. 11, 2024. Paul Vernon/AP Photo

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine dismissed claims that some Haitian or other immigrants have eaten pets in Springfield, the Ohio city at the center of a nationwide immigration controversy, while the state’s attorney general has said there is at least one credible claim that immigrants have captured geese.

In an interview with CBS News, DeWine, whose family operates a charity in Haiti that has built a network of schools in the impoverished country, was asked whether anyone in Ohio was eating dogs or cats illegally.

DeWine responded, “This is something that came up on the internet, and the internet can be quite crazy sometimes.”

“Look, the mayor ... of Springfield says there’s no truth in that,“ DeWine said. ”They have no evidence of that at all. So if we go with what the mayor says, he knows his city.”

Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost said on Sept. 11 that there are credible claims that immigrants have captured geese for food.

In a social media post, Yost said there is “a recorded police call from a witness who saw immigrants capturing geese for food in Springfield.” He said that citizens testified to the city council and that those people “would be competent witnesses in court.”

Over the past week, Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio), the Republican vice presidential nominee, has said multiple times on social media that there have been reports of Haitian or other illegal immigrants eating pets as well as ducks.

During the Sept. 10 presidential debate, former President Donald Trump referred to those reports while speaking about illegal immigration in the United States.

A Trump campaign website page, citing The Federalist, said that a police call in August included a local resident reporting that Haitian people were carrying four geese in Springfield.

“I’m sitting here, I’m riding on the trail, I’m going to my orientation for my job today, and I see a group of Haitian people, there was about four of ’em, they all had geese in their hand,” the caller tells a dispatcher in the audio recording of the phone call.

The Epoch Times could not verify the authenticity of the call and contacted the Springfield Police Division for comment on Sept. 12 but didn’t receive a reply by publication time.

Springfield Strategic Engagement Manager Karen Graves told The Epoch Times earlier this week, “There have been no credible reports or specific claims of pets being harmed, injured, or abused by individuals within the immigrant community.”

Meanwhile, Springfield Mayor Rob Rue said on Sept. 9 that claims that geese or ducks from parks had been killed and eaten are unsubstantiated.

Speaking to the Springfield News-Sun, Rue said he has had no conversations with Yost about the issue, adding that his city appreciates any help it can get to assist the immigrant population and the larger community.

“Our concern is the surge that we’ve experienced over the last three to four years and we’re trying to do the best we can with the infrastructure we have to serve the influx of folks that have come into our community, to serve the community including the influx,” Rue said.

In a statement on Sept. 10, a Springfield police spokesperson said, “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.”

Earlier this year, the Department of Homeland Security announced the extension of temporary protected status for Haitians until Feb. 3, 2026, including those who entered illegally, protecting them from being deported back to Haiti.

The U.S. State Department has long warned that U.S. citizens should exercise caution when traveling to Haiti. In 2023, the agency urged any U.S. citizens to leave the country in the midst of widespread violence and unrest after the assassination of its president, Jovenel Moise, two years earlier.

The country is currently listed as “Level 4 - Do Not Travel” because of crime, kidnappings, poor health care infrastructure, and unrest.

Reuters contributed to this report.