Georgia: A Georgia police officer has been placed on leave after a family’s beloved pet baby donkey, “Hee-Haw”, was shot and killed during an early-morning search on their property on Sunday.
The incident took place when officers entered the family’s pasture in Rockmart at around 12:45 am while searching for a missing person, without notifying the family or obtaining permission, according to HeeHaw’s owner, Hannah Israel.
Israel said the small male donkey came out braying after sensing strangers on the Elsberry farm. According to a Facebook post by Israel, one of the officers then shot HeeHaw, claiming he felt threatened by the animal.
Family seeks answers
For the family, the incident has turned a search operation into a heartbreaking loss. HeeHaw was not a stray animal but a cherished pet, and his death has left Israel seeking answers over why the encounter ended with the donkey being killed.
Fundraiser surpasses $35,000
Meanwhile, an online fundraiser launched by Israel to help support legal action over HeeHaw’s death has quickly surpassed $35,000, according to a report by The Guardian.
According to police, the missing child was found at a church near the pasture where the donkey was shot. The Georgia Department of Agriculture is probing the circumstances surrounding the death of the baby donkey.
