Full Breakdown
Police Officer Shoots Beloved Donkey While Searching for Missing Child in Georgia
9/2/2026, 12:01:42 PM
Shooting of HeeHaw Amid Missing-Child Search
Early on Sunday morning, an officer from the Cedartown Police Department fired a lethal shot at a one-year-old miniature donkey named HeeHaw on the pasture of Elsberry Riding and Farm in Polk County. The officer was assisting Polk County police in a nighttime search for a missing child, who was later located unharmed at a nearby church. The officer has been placed on paid administrative leave while the Georgia Department of Agriculture Law Enforcement Division conducts an independent investigation.
Background & Context
The search began after a 12-year-old girl was reported missing earlier in the month. Cedartown officers joined the Polk County team and entered the farm’s pasture around 12:45 a.m. on August 30. Farm owner Hannah Israel says the officers entered without permission or warning. She notes HeeHaw was bottle-raised, lived inside the house for his first three months, and later appeared at local petting-zoo events.
Data & Statistics
- HeeHaw had just celebrated his first birthday.
- Fundraising for legal fees and animal care has exceeded $100,000.
- Georgia’s animal-cruelty statute permits lethal force only when the actor reasonably believes an imminent threat exists.
Official Statements & Responses
- Cedartown Police Chief Jamie Newsom confirmed the officer’s use of force and the administrative leave, noting body-camera footage exists but declining to describe its content.
- The Polk County Sheriff’s Office said its deputies were not involved and offered condolences.
- Sheriff Johnny Moats reported receiving death threats after the incident.
- The Georgia Department of Agriculture Law Enforcement Division has taken over the case, citing its expertise in animal-related matters. No charges or disciplinary findings have been announced.
Why It Matters / Impact
The incident underscores gaps in law-enforcement training for encounters with livestock on rural properties. Georgia’s animal-cruelty law allows lethal force only when an officer reasonably believes an imminent threat to a person, animal, or property exists, and requires the method to be as humane as possible. State investigators have not yet determined whether the shooting meets that standard. The case has prompted calls for clearer departmental policies and animal-behavior training, which currently focus primarily on dogs.
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
- Date discrepancy: Most outlets place the shooting on August 30, while a USA Today report states it occurred just after midnight on April 30.
- Taser claim: Farm-owner statements allege officers attempted to Taser HeeHaw before shooting, but police have not independently confirmed this detail.
- Officer’s perspective: No public statement from the officer or detailed description of the perceived threat has been provided.
Verbatim Quotes
- “I cannot imagine the grief and frustration that the tragic loss of HeeHaw has caused,” — Cedartown Police Chief Jamie Newsom
- “They claimed he ran up to them braying and they thought they were in danger and shot and killed him after trying to Taze him,” — Hannah Israel
- “I will confirm body cam video exists. I have viewed it, but I won't comment as to what it portrays, to respect the investigation that that state agency,” — Chief Newsom
