Haitian immigrant pet-eating row: Misleading video sparks controversy as US election inches closer

A video circulating on social media platforms, falsely claiming to depict a woman accused of killing and eating a cat has ignited controversy and raised concerns about the spread of misinformation. 

After the video went viral, right-wing agitators latched onto false claims that Haitian arrivals in the USA were eating household pets. 

However, local authorities debunked the false claims surrounding the video.

During ABC's presidential debate, the baseless claim was repeated by Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump who pledged to conduct mass deportations of Haitian immigrants from the Ohio city of Springfield.

The baseless claim had spread on social media, with Republican vice-presidential candidate JD Vance promoting it on X. The post has garnered more than 11 million views.

Where did the claim come from?

A misleading YouTube video titled "Haitian Woman Eats Neighbor's Cat in Springfield" sparked the confusion after falsely claiming that the incident took place in Springfield, Ohio. 

The video purportedly showed a woman being arrested for killing and eating a cat and police confronting the woman for consuming a cat. 

This video led to widespread rumors about Haitian immigrants eating pets in Springfield. However, the incident took place in Canton, Ohio, about 273 km away from Springfield and the person seen in video is Allexis Ferrell, a US citizen with no known ties to Haiti or any foreign country, as reported by USA Today. 

Springfield City Manager Bryan Heck also dispelled these rumors. . "There is no evidence supporting the claims of Haitian immigrants harming or eating cats or other pets in Springfield," Heck reportedly said

Donald Trump has recently advanced the debunked claim that Haitian migrants were stealing and eating their neighbors’ pets in Springfield, Ohio.

On his social media accounts, he has posted memes of cats and dogs, nodding at the false claims and implicitly reminding people of the his campaign’s hard-line immigration stance.