A post shared on Facebook purports climate activists have vowed to “slaughter” millions of dogs to reduce carbon footprint. 

Verdict: False

There is no evidence for this claim. The article stems from a website known for spreading misinformation.

Fact Check: 

Recent extreme weather patterns that have strongly impacted farmers and their harvests are being blamed on effects caused by climate change, according to USA Today. Experts have suggested that feeding pets dry food over regular pet food would “significantly reduce” their environmental impact, ZME Science reported.

The Facebook post allegedly shows a news article claiming that climate activists plan to kill millions of dogs to reduce carbon footprint. The article features a “Fact Checked” seal and is accredited to Sean Adl-Tabatabai from Nov. 26.

“Climate Activists Vow To Slaughter Millions of Dogs To ‘Reduce Carbon Pawprint,'” the headline reads. “Climate activists are now calling for millions of dogs worldwide to be slaughtered in an effort to reduce the ‘carbon pawprint’ they produce as a result of eating meat.”

This is not a genuine article, however. It stems from the online website NewsPunch, which was co-founded by Adl-Tabatabai and is known for spreading misinformation, according to FactCheck.org and Google. Check Your Fact has debunked several other articles published by the website. (RELATED: Does Joe Biden’s Climate Plan Require Americans To Eat 90% Less Red Meat?)

The NewsPunch article references a CNN column claiming “feeding dogs and cats creates the equivalent of around 64 million tons of carbon dioxide in the US each year.” However, Check Your Fact found no credible news reports to prove that climate activists have announced an initiative to euthanize dogs or other animals to reduce emissions. 

This is not the first time misinformation involving climate activists has spread online. Check Your Fact recently debunked a video that claimed to show a climate protestor being struck by a traffic cone.