Georgia Police Officer Won’t Face Charges After Shooting Family’s Beloved Baby Donkey Named HeeHaw

A Georgia police officer who fatally shot a family’s beloved miniature donkey during a search for a missing child will not face criminal charges, despite the animal’s owner insisting that her gentle pet posed no threat.

Officer Trenton Garner of the Cedartown Police Department shot and killed the one-year-old donkey, named HeeHaw, during an overnight search in Polk County, Georgia, on August 30, 2026.

The officers were searching for a missing 12-year-old girl when a trail of footprints led them into a pasture belonging to Elsberry Riding and Farm in Rockmart.

According to Garner’s incident report, the officers were following a fence line when nearby horses became frightened and ran away. They then spotted HeeHaw on a hillside.

Garner claimed the donkey suddenly charged toward him and another officer. A K-9 handler reportedly activated a Taser in an attempt to scare the animal away, but it continued approaching.

Garner then drew his department-issued Glock 17 and fired a single shot.

The donkey turned and moved back up the hill before collapsing. HeeHaw later died from his injuries.

The animal’s owner, Hannah Israel, was devastated by the loss. She said HeeHaw had been bottle-fed since he was young and was exceptionally friendly toward people.

The miniature donkey regularly participated in petting zoo activities and had been around children and adults at nursing homes. Israel described him as an affectionate animal who had never shown aggression toward strangers.

The missing girl was eventually found safe at a church near the area.

Following an investigation, Tallapoosa Judicial Circuit District Attorney Jaeson Smith concluded that Garner would not face criminal charges. In a report dated November 2, prosecutors determined that the officer’s actions did not establish criminal liability.

The decision reportedly relied on an investigation by the Georgia Department of Agriculture, witness interviews, dispatch records and body-camera footage.

According to the district attorney’s findings, officers attempted to retreat as HeeHaw approached, and the animal continued toward another officer despite the attempt to deter it with a Taser.

However, the decision has not ended the controversy.

Israel has filed a separate civil lawsuit against Garner, alleging that officers entered her fenced property without permission or a warrant and killed her pet without justification.

Garner has argued that he reasonably believed the donkey posed an immediate threat to another officer and has asked a federal judge to dismiss the lawsuit under the legal protection known as qualified immunity.

Israel’s legal team disputes that argument and wants the case to proceed, contending that a jury should determine whether the animal actually posed an immediate danger.

The case has attracted widespread attention from animal lovers, with many questioning whether deadly force was necessary against a small domesticated animal.

For Israel, the decision not to bring criminal charges does little to ease the loss of an animal she considered part of her family. Her civil case now represents another attempt to obtain accountability for HeeHaw’s death.

Source:  DAILYMAIL