JD Vance's pet-eating claim debunked after missing cat 'Miss Sassy' is found hiding in basement

SPRINGFIELD, OHIO: Donald Trump's running mate Senator JD Vance's claims about Haitian immigrants allegedly 'eating' pets in Springfield, Ohio, have again been debunked after a cat who was reported missing was found hiding in the basement. 

Trump and Vance, who have stoked widespread fury by claiming pet-eating rumors were a reality in the small Ohio town, are actually perceived as inflaming anger and fear towards immigrant communities.

JD Vance's initial remarks on pet eating rumors debunked by Springfield city manager 

JD Vance first sparked controversy on September 9 when he posted reports claiming "people have had their pets abducted and eaten by people who shouldn't be in this country."

The same day, as reported by the Wall Street Journal, City Manager Bryan Heck received a call from a staffer of Vance. 

He inquired from him directly if rumours were "true" that pets are being abducted and eaten to which he replied, "There was no verifiable evidence or reports to show this was true.”

However, the post shared by Vance wasn't taken down or edited and still remains visible to his 1.9 million followers.

The narrative advanced by both Trump and Vance since suggests that the situation in Springfield was dire due to the migrant crisis which is widely viewed as an attack on Democrats for permitting migrants into the country.

“In Springfield, they’re eating the dogs…they’re eating the cats of the people that live there," Trump remarked during a debate with Kamala Harris on ABC.

JD Vance doubles down on cat eating rumors 

On Sunday, September 15, Vance doubled down on the baseless claims of pet eating rumors on CNN.

Defending the story, Vance said "media totally ignored this stuff until Donald Trump and I started talking about cat memes."

"If I have to create stories so that the American media actually pays attention to the suffering of the American people, then that’s what I’m going to do," he told the station. 

He claimed the stories of pet eating were true as they had "comes from firsthand accounts from my constituents."

"I say that we’re creating a story, meaning we’re creating the American media focusing on it," he added.

Yet, Ohio offcials have repeatedly denied the claims as Mayor Rob Rue told BBC, "People's pets are safe in Springfield, Ohio."

"We reached out to the JD Vance Campaign to let them know that we do not have any evidence that has happened," he said.

Ohio Governor Mike DeWine told WSJ that the claims are “crazy” and “false.”

JD Vance's police report on missing cat 'Miss Sassy' debunked 

As JD Vance continues to repeat the claims while officials deny them, The Wall Street Journal requested evidence from Vance's campaign on Tuesday, September 17.

The publication was provided with a single police report by Anna Kilgore, a Trump-supporting resident of Springfield as proof.

Kilgore reported to the police her suspicion that her missing cat, Miss Sassy, had been taken by Haitian immigrants.

A WSJ reporter visited Kilgore at her home on the evening of September 12 where she disclosed that Miss Sassy had been hiding in her basement all along.

"I was relieved, of course,” Kilgore said, wearing a Trump shirt and hat, MEDIAITE noted. “I had no idea where she was, but she never left the house," Kilgore added.

Feeling embarrassed by the situation, Kilgore mentioned that she had offered an apology to her Haitian neighbors, using a translation app and the assistance of her daughter.

“I didn’t mean to cause any harm,” she explained.