(CEDARTOWN, Geor.) — About a month after a Cedartown police officer shot and killed a beloved baby donkey named HeeHaw during a search for a missing child, Heehaw’s owner is still seeking answers as an investigation continues and a federal lawsuit moves forward.
Photo Credit: Elsberry Riding and Farm Go Fund Me / Official Website / A close-up photo of HeeHaw
Officer Trenton Garner shot HeeHaw during the early morning hours of August 30 while officers were searching for a missing 12-year-old girl, according to a Cedartown police report.
The report says officers and K-9 teams were following a trail that led onto Hannah Israel’s property. Garner wrote that HeeHaw charged toward officers and that a K-9 handler used a Taser-7 to try to stop him.
The Taser did not stop the donkey, according to the report. Garner then shot HeeHaw once.
Garner told a supervisor and dispatchers that he fired because he believed HeeHaw posed a threat to the K-9 handler and bloodhound team.
Hannah Israel, HeeHaw’s owner, who did not immediately respond to requests for comment, has described the shooting differently on the farm’s Justice for HeeHaw page.
Photo Credit: Elsberry Riding and Farm / Official Website / a photo of Heehaw in diapers. Heehaw was raised and bottle-fed by Israel on the farm
“At 12:45 a.m., cops entered my pasture searching for a missing person WITHOUT permission or warning and shot and killed my bottle-raised BABY donkey,” she wrote.
“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.”
Israel has continued posting photos of HeeHaw on Facebook since his death, including photos from his time at the farm.
Photo Credit: Elsberry Riding and Farm Go Fund Me / Official Website / A silly photo of Heehaw showing his personality
She also launched a GoFundMe, in which all money raised will go to the farm and plans for a future HeeHaw foundation. A petition on change.org was created to advocate for justice for Heehaw as well.
The incident sparked international outrage and led to local protests, one of which was organized by advocate Kevin Cooper, who came to Georgia from Virginia after seeing the story online. He has since stayed in close contact with Israel to fight for justice for Heehaw.
"HeeHaw was raised like a child—fed with a bottle and wearing diapers as a baby," Cooper said. "Donkeys are curious by nature. When you walk into their pasture, they run up expecting a treat or to be petted, especially an animal like HeeHaw who was trained to interact with small children. To see officers enter a pasture in the middle of the night without permission and respond to that with deadly force shows a total breakdown in training and communication."
Cooper emphasized that they’re hoping the lawsuit leads to broader policy reform surrounding law enforcement interactions with domestic animals.
"We need strict laws and training that law enforcement must abide by when dealing with animals," Cooper added. "There has to be accountability and a level of restraint so that officers aren't immediately defaulting to aggressive, lethal force."
Israel filed a federal lawsuit against Garner on Sept. 11. The lawsuit seeks damages and attorneys’ fees. The allegations have not been decided by a court.
The Georgia Department of Agriculture’s Law Enforcement Division is investigating the shooting.
To add to or correct information in this report, please contact me at mia.s@lead4earth.org.
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