Haitians are responsible for the disappearance of 16 cats in Bangor, Maine.
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Lies about Haitians killing pet cats spreads from Springfield, Ohio, to Bangor, Maine
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This claim is unfounded. A spokesperson for the local police department said: "We have no reason to believe any specific ethnic group that numbers approximately a dozen people in the greater Bangor area are responsible for the disappearance of the missing cats."
Haitian migrants in Springfield, Ohio, have been plagued by baseless claims that they’re killing and eating residents’ pets after Republican presidential nominee and former President Trump repeated the lie during a Sept. 10 debate with Democratic presidential nominee and Vice President Kamala Harris.
A recent Instagram pulls the red string from Springfield, Ohio, to Bangor, Maine — more than a thousand miles away.
"16 pets have suddenly disappeared in Bangor, Maine," the Sept. 23 post said. "No remains were found. Experts don’t believe an animal did this. Bangor just had an influx of Haitians."
This post was flagged as part of Meta’s efforts to combat false news and misinformation on its News Feed. (Read more about our partnership with Meta, which owns Facebook, Instagram and Threads.)
The post includes video from an Aug. 29 News Center Maine broadcast about "at least 16 cats" that had disappeared from a Bangor neighborhood, Fairmount.
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"Bangor’s animal control officer, Trisha Bruen, who is investigating these incidents, says she believes the cats were killed by wildlife," the reporter says in the segment. "But she said it’s possible some cats ran away and will return or were stolen. The Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, though, does not believe wildlife is the cause — foxes, coyotes and fishers have always been in the area."
The news story does not mention Haitians.
Sgt. Jason McAmbley, a Bangor Police Department spokesperson, told PolitiFact that authorities "have no reason to believe any specific ethnic group that numbers approximately a dozen people in the greater Bangor area are responsible for the disappearance of the missing cats."
McAmbley also shared a statement from Bruen, who said she believes both humans possibly stealing cats and wildlife are to blame for the missing cats, which "must be close to 20 by now."
"It is likely multiple species are responsible, as well as people, are responsible," she said in the statement.
We rate claims that Haitian migrants are behind the recent disappearance of cats in Bangor, Maine, Pants on Fire!
Our Sources
Instagram post, Sept. 23, 2024
PolitiFact, Authorities rebut claims that Haitian immigrants are eating cats, waterfowl in Ohio town, Sept. 9, 2024
PolitiFact, Republican U.S. Senate candidate Bernie Moreno pushes unfounded migrant pet-eating narrative, Sept. 18, 2024
PolitiFact, Trump repeats baseless claims that Haitian immigrants in Springfield, Ohio, are eating pets, Sept. 11, 2024
PolitiFact, ‘I am afraid’: The aftermath of Springfield, Ohio, misinformation on Haitians who live there, Sept. 13, 2024
News Center Maine, At least 16 cats in Bangor neighborhood have disappeared, Aug. 29, 2024
Interview with Sgt. Jason McAmbley, Public Information Officer, Bangor Police Department, Sept. 26, 2024
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Lies about Haitians killing pet cats spreads from Springfield, Ohio, to Bangor, Maine
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