Until recently, Springfield, Ohio, was best known as the fictional hometown of "The Simpsons" animated series.

The city has gained renewed attention due to a disinformation campaign targeting Haitian immigrants.

This week, unfounded claims circulated on social media that claimed Haitian immigrants in Springfield are stealing residents' pets and taking wildlife from local parks for food. Despite local authorities debunking those claims, the narrative gained more traction when former President Donald Trump brought up the allegations during Tuesday night's presidential debate.

The false claims have continued to spread, including by several Republican politicians like Ohio Senator J.D. Vance, Trump's presidential running mate, and Texas Senator Ted Cruz. Social media users have taken the narrative further, asserting that sacrificing animals like cats is a common practice in Haitian Vodou, which blends African spirituality and Catholicism.

Here's a look at how the claims originated and evolved:

The rumors began with two viral posts alleging that Haitians in Springfield had eaten a neighbor's cat and were capturing wild geese for food.

Claim: The viral image shows Haitian migrants stealing wild animals and pets.

The image shows a man carrying a Canada goose, which is a protected species in Ohio. It is often shared with the claim that Haitian migrants in Springfield are eating pets.

Many users have shared a collage of the image andscreenshots of a post that says: "Warning to all about our beloved pets and those around us. My neighbor informed me that her daughter's friend had lost her cat. She checked pages and kennels, asked around, etc. One day she came home from work, and as soon as she stepped out of her car, she looked toward a neighbor's house where Haitians live and saw her cat hanging from a branch, like you'd hang a deer for butchering, and they were carving it........

© Deutsche Welle