JD Vance, Donald Trump and other Republicans are clinging to a racist and thoroughly debunked lie that a group of legal immigrants in Ohio are abducting, killing and eating peoples pets.

Theres zero truth to the claim . And yet, theres a mountain of evidence in the last week, month, year and half-century that its Republicans who pose the gravest threat to Americas animals.

Most recently, several former colleagues of Kevin Roberts, the president of the Heritage Foundation and the man behind Project 2025, told The Guardian that Roberts once said hed killed a neighbors dog with a shovel.

Kenneth Hammond, who worked with Roberts in the history department at New Mexico State University in 2004, was one of three colleagues who shared the story with the outlet, which published its report on Tuesday.

My recollection of his account was that he was discussing in the hallway with various members of the faculty, including me, that a neighbors dog had been barking pretty relentlessly and was, you know, keeping the baby and probably the parents awake and that he kind of lost it and took a shovel and killed the dog, Hammond said.

Another colleague recalled Roberts sharing the story at a dinner party he hosted, adding that Roberts said hed considered killing the dogs puppies as well.

Roberts told The Guardian the story is patently untrue.

If he indeed killed the dog, Roberts would actually be in good company. Numerous other Republicans (and their supporters) have harmed or threatened whether directly or indirectly Americas animals in recent history, some fatally. Including:

South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem