Georgia Cop Placed on Leave After Family’s Baby Donkey ‘HeeHaw’ is Shot and Killed During Search, Owner Says Officers Entered Pasture Without Permission

A family in Georgia is outraged after a Georgia police officer shot and killed their baby donkey named ‘HeeHaw’.

According to the donkey’s owner Hannah Israel, Georgia police entered her family’s pasture and killed HeeHaw after they perceived him as a threat.

In a post on Facebook Israel wrote, “At 12:45am cops entered my pasture searching for a missing person WITHOUT permission or warning and shot and killed my bottle raised BABY donkey.”

She added, “HeeHaw was raised in the house and did petting zoos he never knew a stranger. And was shot and killed in his OWN pasture for doing what donkeys do. Alerting to a stranger. There is no way this is legal! I will be taking legal action.”

Police entered on Israel’s pasture as they were searching for a missing child.

The Cedartown Police Department in Georgia has since placed an officer on leave and is investigating the shooting.

Georgia cops kill baby donkey HeeHaw, and his owner demands justice: ‘He was my son’ https://t.co/BC27CCnBIM pic.twitter.com/7ecW1r0XGm

— New York Post (@nypost) August 31, 2026

Per The Guardian:

A police officer in the US state of Georgia was placed on leave after a family’s pet baby donkey was shot and killed during an early-morning search on their property.

The animal’s owner, Hannah Israel, said officers were at her pasture without notification or permission at about 12.45am on Sunday, reportedly looking for a missing person when they encountered the small male donkey named HeeHaw.

According to a Facebook post by Israel, HeeHaw emerged braying at the presence of strangers at Elsberry farm in Rockmart – and was shot dead by an officer who claimed he felt under threat.

Jamie Newsome, the Cedartown, Georgia, police department chief, told local media that an officer had been placed on leave and that an inquiry was under way. But a social media backlash by Monday morning was growing over the absence of any official statement or confirmation from the city or police department.

‘He was my SON’: Owner demands answers after beloved donkey is shot by police https://t.co/hAQCM8R4su pic.twitter.com/Hg8xPYGsKD

— WSB-TV (@wsbtv) August 30, 2026

11 Alive further reported, Cedartown Police Chief Jamie Newsom confirmed one of his officers shot and killed HeeHaw as they were looking for a missing child who was eventually found in the pasture where HeeHaw lived.

Newsom stated, “That search took them to the incident location where this very unfortunate and heartbreaking event occurred.”

The family of Heehaw has since launched a GoFundMe, which has raised over $105,000 in the last 24 hours.