Police Shoot Family’s Donkey While Searching for Missing Child
A police officer in Georgia fatally shot a family’s pet donkey during a search for a missing child, who was ultimately found safely at a nearby church. The incident took place around 12:45 a.m. on Sunday at a property in Rockmart, Polk County.
Hannah Israel, 30, recounted how officers entered her family’s land without warning, drawn by the presence of their baby donkey, HeeHaw. “They said he ran up to them braying, and they felt threatened, so they shot him after attempts to Taze him,” Israel expressed on Facebook. “HeeHaw was killed in his own pasture for simply alerting a stranger. This can’t be legal!” she asserted.
Outraged, she pledged to pursue legal action to seek justice for her beloved pet.
“We are heartbroken. He was like my SON!!” she lamented in another post, questioning, “Where is safe?? How could my own baby be shot in his own home?” A photograph after the incident shows Israel in tears beside her lifeless donkey.
“He would usually run over and chat with me because he thought he could talk like we do,” she reminisced. “Whenever he saw someone, he’d rush toward them and bray, making funny sounds. He loved people, genuinely thinking he was one of us. He even slept in my bed for the first three months!” she added.
The Cedartown Police Department confirmed that the officer involved has been placed on paid administrative leave pending the investigation.
In an official statement, the department noted that they have turned the inquiry over to the Georgia Department of Agriculture’s Law Enforcement Division. According to Police Chief Jamie Newsom, there is body camera footage of the incident, which he has already reviewed. “This unfortunate event unfolded as part of their search that led them to the area,” he stated, acknowledging the family’s and community’s grief over HeeHaw’s death.
The Georgia Department of Agriculture’s Law Enforcement Division began their investigation into the donkey’s shooting on Monday.
To help with legal expenses related to HeeHaw’s death, Israel set up a GoFundMe page. She mentioned that any remaining funds after legal costs would support the farm and care for the animals, as well as a future HeeHaw foundation. As of Tuesday morning, over $113,000 had been raised.
“My beloved bottle baby donkey was killed by trespassing officers in his own pasture,” she wrote on the fundraiser, reflecting on how HeeHaw brought joy, participating in petting zoos and making many people smile.
While she has engaged legal assistance, Israel emphasized that leftover donations would not be used for personal needs, but rather for the care of animals and community support.
