Federal Law Prohibits Dog and Cat Consumption Nationwide, Ohio Officials Debunk Recent Claims

Dog and cat consumption for human purposes has been prohibited across the United States since the enactment of the Dog and Cat Meat Trade Prohibition Act in 2018, a federal law that imposes fines of up to $5,000 for violations. This legislation, signed into law as part of the 2018 Farm Bill, makes it illegal to knowingly slaughter, transport, sell, or possess dogs or cats for human consumption, with a narrow exception for Native American religious ceremonies.

Despite the existing federal ban, recent social media activity, including a tweet from Ian Miles Cheong stating, "No more dog and cat consumption in Ohio," has drawn attention to the issue within the state. This tweet appears in the context of widely circulated, yet debunked, claims regarding pet consumption in Springfield, Ohio. Local authorities, including Springfield Mayor Rob Rue and Ohio Governor Mike DeWine, have emphatically refuted these allegations.

Springfield officials have confirmed that there are no credible reports or verified incidents of pets being harmed or consumed by any community members, including the city's growing Haitian immigrant population. Governor DeWine underscored the lack of evidence, describing the claims as "garbage" and emphasizing that the Haitian immigrants in Springfield are present legally and contribute positively to the local workforce.

The federal prohibition of 2018 means that any state-level ban on dog and cat meat for human consumption would be redundant. While Ohio did pass amendments to "Goddard's Law" in 2022, these focused on preventing the use of dog and cat remains in pet food, a separate issue from human consumption. The recent focus on Ohio stems primarily from the amplification of false narratives rather than new legislative action concerning human consumption.