The Cat That Sparked The 'Haitian Migrants Eating Pets' Rumor Has Been Found

The cat whose disappearance set off a series of events that culminated in Donald Trump bellowing, "THEY'RE EATING THE DOGS," during his first debate with Kamala Harris has been found in the basement of the homeowner who first reported her missing.

A screenshot from a recent paywalled article from The Wall Street Journal about the spread of the false Haitian Immigrants Eating Pets and Geese hoax began going viral on Twitter / X today.

The story originated from a police report filed by Anna Kilgore, a Trump supporter who filed a police report voicing her suspicions that her Haitian neighbors had abducted and possibly eaten her cat, Miss Sassy.

It then spread on Facebook after Ohioan Erika Lee made a post about Kilgore's suspicions that went viral.

While tracking down the claim that has spread largely through Ohioan Senator and Vice Presidential candidate J.D. Vance, The Wall Street Journal received Kilgore's name from Vance's team as apparent proof that the claim that Ohioans are concerned about Haitian migrants eating pets is real.

Their reporter, Kris Maher, drove to Anna Kilgore's house and interviewed her about the incident. Kilgore revealed her cat had returned shortly after she reported it missing and was relaxing in her basement. Kilgore apologized to her neighbors for the trouble she'd caused.

The revelation that the cat who was patient zero of the national frenzy was fine underlined the absurdity of the story for many online. For weeks, many suspected that the "Haitian migrants eating pets" story was a hoax due to the total absence of evidence supporting the rumors, leading to the creation of memes and jokes about the Republican ticket's continued insistence that the hoax was legitimate.

Many suspected that Trump and Vance knew the story was made up when Vance made a gaffe last weekend, saying he "created" the story in an interview with CNN, which he then attempted to walk back by saying he "created" media attention on the story.

At the very least, Americans can rest easy knowing Miss Sassy is safe, likely blissfully unaware that she potentially swayed the course of the 2024 United States Presidential Election.