NewsOhio News

Actions

'Taking away from the real issues' | Springfield leaders say health care and education are at risk, not pets

The city's mayor again shut down claims of Haitian migrants killing and eating pets after viral social media posts garnered global attention.
Posted
and last updated

SPRINGFIELD, Ohio — Are Haitian migrants killing and eating pets and wildlife in one small Ohio community?

City leaders said the short and only answer is no.

The mayor of Springfield, which sits just north of Dayton, along with city administration and police have been shutting down the claims for the past few days ever since they garnered national attention over the weekend.

In a post originally made in a Springfield Facebook group, a person claimed that their neighbor's daughter's friend had lost her cat, searching for it in the area. The author said the woman found her cat hanging from a branch at her Haitian neighbor's home, being carved up. The author did not cite any firsthand knowledge of the incident.

As the Facebook post went viral, so too did a video and photo. The former is police body cam footage showing officers walk up to a woman in a driveway bent over a cat. The animal was bloody and the woman was accused of killing and eating it.

Claims were made that the incident happened in Springfield. That has since been proven false. It actually occurred last month in Canton — about 150 miles north of Springfield — and the woman was arrested for animal cruelty.

The photo that's also drawing eyes and reaction on social media shows a man in a crosswalk holding a goose. The animal appears dead and the man is accused of having taken it from a local Springfield park and killed it for food. The photo was actually captured in Columbus.

​"We know ourselves as Haitian people and we can say that, uh-uh," said Rose Thamar-Jospeh with Springfield's Haitian Community Help Center.

After moving to the city two years ago, Thamar-Jospeh helped establish the center, which opened its doors in April. She said the Haitian community in Springfield is disheartened by the claims circulating social media.

"I don't know where those rumors came from, but all I know is that they don't have any evidence of those rumors," she said. "But we also understand that we are in an electoral period and things happen, and I think this will pass."

However, claims of Haitian migrants harming animals and doing other illegal activities in Springfield are not new.

At an August city commission meeting, one 28-year-old resident made an impassioned plea to leaders to "get out here and do something."

"These Haitians are running into trash cans. They're running into buildings. They flipping cars in the middle of the street," Anthony Harris said. "I don't know how y'all can be comfortable with this. I don't know who's like, getting paid from it. (The migrants) are in the parks grabbing up ducks by the neck and cutting their head off and walking off with them and eating them."

Before that at an Aug. 13 meeting, one woman held back tears as she pleaded with leaders.

"I am done with what I'm seeing. It is so unsafe in my neighborhood anymore," she said. "It is so unsafe. I have men that cannot speak English in my front yard screaming at me, throwing mattresses in my front yard, throwing trash in my front yard. And — look at me. I weigh 95 pounds. I couldn't defend myself if I have to."

Despite the vocal frustrations from residents, Springfield Deputy Director of Public Safety and Operations Jason Via shared a statement with WCPO shutting down the claims.

"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. Additionally, there have been no verified instances of immigrants engaging in illegal activities such as squatting or littering in front of residents' homes," the statement reads. "Furthermore, no reports have been made regarding members of the immigrant community deliberately disrupting traffic."

Republican Vice Presidential nominee J.D. Vance is pushing back on the attempts to entirely debunk the claims.

Active on his X (formerly Twitter) account on the topic since earlier this week, Vance posted again Tuesday saying, "In the last several weeks, my office has received many inquiries from actual residents of Springfield who've said their neighbors' pets or local wildlife were abducted by Haitian migrants. It's possible, of course, that all of these rumors will turn out to be false."

Hours after Vance shared the post, former President Donald Trump also referred to the claim of the cat stolen, killed and eaten in Springfield during the presidential debate.

"In Springfield, they're eating the dogs," Trump said. "The people that came in — they're eating the cats. They're eating the pets of the people that live there."

Springfield Mayor Rob Rue said the rumors are just that — rumors — and they're distracting from the real reason the growth of the Haitian population is impacting the community.

"Such as housing concerns, resources needed for our schools and our overwhelmed healthcare system," Rue said. "As it relates to driving, I said in a statement at the last meeting that I am just as concerned as all of you about the reckless operation out on our streets. Speeding and distracted driving of motor vehicles in our community."

Thousands of temporary Haitian migrants have landed in the city in recent years, as longstanding unrest in their home country has given way to violent gangs ruling the streets.

Under a federal program, the community has added an estimated 15,000 Haitian people since 2020. Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine said he doesn't oppose the Temporary Protected Status program they arrived under, but said the federal government must do more to help impacted communities.

Ohio has already provided additional resources to Springfield to help with education and training for drivers, to pay for more vaccines and health screenings in schools and to enhance translation services, DeWine said.

“These dramatic surges impact every citizen of the community, every citizen,” he said, noting additional influxes are occurring in Findlay and Lima, Ohio. "Moms who have to wait hours in a waiting room with a sick child, everyone who drives on the streets, and it affects children who go to school in more crowded classrooms.”

On Wednesday, the Ohio State Highway Patrol will be dispatched to help local law enforcement with traffic issues that officials say have cropped up due to an increase in Haitians unfamiliar with U.S. traffic laws using the roads. DeWine said he is also earmarking $2.5 million over two years to provide more primary healthcare through the county health department and private healthcare institutions.

On Wednesday afternoon, Springfield City Manager Bryan Heck addressed the spotlight on the town, denouncing rumors and praising progress instead.

Springfield is a dynamic community with many positive attributes. It is disappointing that some of the narrative surrounding our city has been skewed by misinformation circulating on social media and amplified by political rhetoric in the current highly charged presidential election cycle.

Our Springfield community is making notable progress that contributes to its growing appeal among new residents, including immigrants. This development is underpinned by our city’s diverse and robust industrial base that encompasses the technology, automotive, food production and distribution sectors. The growth in our workforce population has supported the expansion of local businesses contributing to the stabilization of our local economy. Our commitment to promoting a business-friendly environment has attracted new enterprises to our region, and we will continue to focus on collaborating with industry leaders who seek to establish operations here.

Springfield is at the forefront of advancements in aerospace technology, particularly in support of our national defense. These technologies are set to enhance daily life in the coming decades.

We continue to enjoy success in working with developers to increase our residential development across various housing sectors, a trend not seen in decades. Over the next few years, we anticipate the addition of over 2,000 new housing units. Springfield’s strategic location between the Columbus and Dayton markets continues to make us a prime candidate for future development.

While we are experiencing challenges related to the rapid growth of our immigrant population, these challenges are primarily due to the pace of growth rather than the rumors being reported. These rumors will not distract us from addressing the true strain on our resources, including the impact to our schools, healthcare system and first responders.

We will continue to work collaboratively with our community partners to face these challenges head-on and move Springfield Forward Together.
Bryan Heck, Springfield City Manager