Sep. 14—A new social media post and article by conservative activist Christopher Rufo, claiming that an immigrant family in Dayton grilled cats in 2023, was retweeted Saturday by Ohio U.S. Senator JD Vance, and criticized by city of Dayton leadership.
Rufo’s article revives a small video from summer 2023 showing a few of some type of animal on a barbecue grill in a yard. The person taking the video says they appear to be cats. No person at all can be seen in the video.
In the article, Rufo says the video was taken on a street in northwest Dayton, and that new interviews with people there supported the claim that an African immigrant resident had hunted roaming cats and grilled them.
This comes after a week of arguments about claims that Haitian immigrants in Springfield were killing and eating people’s pet cats and dogs. The initial social media claim on that front came from a woman who now acknowledges she merely passed along a story she heard, with no first- or even second-hand knowledge.
Springfield police said they had received no reports of that kind, and there was no photo or video evidence shared that suggested killing of pets had happened.
Rufo’s report does not involve either Springfield or Haitians.
But Vance on Saturday retweeted Rufo’s video, saying, “Kamala Harris and her media apparatchiks should be ashamed of themselves. Another ‘debunked’ story that turned out to have merit.”
Both Dayton Police and Dayton’s mayor responded with statements Saturday.
“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,” wrote Police Chief Kamran Afzal. “Seeing politicians or other individuals use outlandish information to appeal to their constituents is disheartening.”
Dayton Mayor Jeff Mims issued a similar statement, denying that Dayton immigrants are eating cats and saying the claim is “dangerously irresponsible of politicians aiming to sow division and fear.”
“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,” Mims wrote. “We will remain committed to creating an inclusive environment for all Dayton residents.”
One of the more prominent Southwest Ohio cases of violence against pets came in Middletown, where Edmund Cunningham pleaded guilty in 2018 to 10 counts of cruelty to companion animals for killing numerous cats and storing their bodies in a freezer.
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Amanda Smith is a dedicated U.S. correspondent with a passion for uncovering the stories that shape the nation. With a background in political science, she provides in-depth analysis and insightful commentary on domestic affairs, ensuring readers are well-informed about the latest developments across the United States.
