The Heritage Foundation’s legal department has uncovered an apparent police report from Springfield, Ohio, where a woman complained about her neighbors allegedly eating her cat.
The report dates from Wednesday, August 28 – around two weeks before cat-eating allegations went viral.
In a two-minute phone call, a woman named Anna called local law enforcement officials believing “her neighbors stole her cat and chopped it”, according to the unverified report. She requested a callout from officers who arrived just under an hour later at 3.30pm.
Anna told officers that her cat went missing four days prior and had not been seen since. She said she discovered “meat” in her backyard, which she believed to be from her cat.
There was no fur or bones around the meat, and it was unknown whether it was indeed from her cat. She suspected the Haitian neighbors, although officers wrote that there was “no evidence” to support her claim.
“Anna had collected the meat and put it in her fridge in hopes to get it cremated [sic],” officers added.
Many on social media were reminded of the ABC presidential debate where moderator David Muir said the city had received “no reports” of cat-eating incidents.
Others, however, noted the section where officers said there was “no evidence” to support the woman’s claim.
The ABC “News” “fact check” said they spoke with the City Manager, who said there were no reports. However, when you call the Police Department, the call does not go to the City Manager’s Office. Perhaps the Police Department is a better source for information about police reports.
The quality of ABC “News” sourcing can also be called into question.