Police officer reveals why he shot and killed HeeHaw the donkey as $118k raised for owner
This article contains images of dead animals which some readers may find upsetting.
Police officers in Georgia searching for a missing child went into a donkey pasture on Sunday (30 August) and encountered a baby donkey named HeeHaw, which they then shot dead.
The donkey's owner, Hannah Israel, says the police were in the pasture without any permission or prior warning, and at time of writing a fundraiser she set up so people could leave donations has passed $118,000 (£87,700).
Hannah said that HeeHaw was a much loved baby donkey who attended many petting zoos, and that any funds raised in the GoFundMe will be put towards caring for her other animals.
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As for the police, an incident report from the officer who shot the donkey claims that they tried to deter the animal with a taser before he fired a bullet into it.
According to Trenton Garner's report, they were searching for a missing 12-year-old girl when they spotted 'a donkey on the side of the hill'.
The officer claims that 'the donkey then began to charge at us', and said the police's K-9 team 'retreated' in the face of the baby donkey's charge, and one of the other officers got out a taser.
Garner claims the other officer sparked the taser to try and deter the baby donkey, but HeeHaw was not deterred and Garner then said 'so I removed my department issued Glock 17 from it's holster and pointed it at the donkey'.
The officer said he 'then fired a single round striking the donkey', with HeeHaw 'retreating up the hill before falling over' after he'd shot the baby animal dead.
Garner went on to say that they informed Hannah her donkey had been killed.
She also told them that the baby donkey wouldn't ever have been aggressive to anyone and wouldn't try to bite anyone. while Garner claims 'the donkey attacked the tracking team'.
The officer went on to say that Fire Department drone operators told them they saw the whole thing on a drone camera.
Later on they found the missing girl further down the road.
In a Facebook post Hannah said the baby donkey 'never knew a stranger' and by going up to the police he was just 'doing what donkeys do' when confronted with the unfamiliar.
Cedartown Police Chief Jamie Newsome said in a statement: "Late Saturday night into early Sunday morning an officer with the Cedartown Police Department responded to a request for assistance from the Polk County Police Department in searching for a missing child.
"During that search it is with heavy heart that I report a Cedartown police officer shot and killed a donkey that was in its own pasture.
"I cannot imagine the grief and frustration that the tragic loss of HeeHaw has caused, but I want our community to know what we are doing now.
"I have contacted the Georgia Department of Agriculture's law enforcement and they are conducting an independent investigation. The officer that was involve has been placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of that investigation.
"I ask everyone to join us in prayer for everyone who has been impacted by this tragic event, but give time for the investigation to be completed."
Joe Harker