Georgia Officer on Leave After Shooting Family's Donkey

Nationwide News - A story out of Polk County, Georgia, is gaining nationwide attention.

In the early hours of Sunday morning, a Cedartown Police officer shot and killed a family's pet donkey while helping Polk County Police search for a missing child.

The shooting happened in the donkey's own pasture on the family's Polk County property. The officer has been placed on paid administrative leave while the shooting is investigated.

The family says officers told them they were on the property searching for a missing person when the donkey, named HeeHaw, ran toward them braying.

They say officers believed the donkey was a threat, which led to the shooting. HeeHaw was raised in the family's home from a baby and was known for visiting local petting zoos.

The missing child was later found safe at a church near the pasture where HeeHaw was shot. Cedartown Police confirmed this timeline in a statement, saying the child had not yet been found at the time of the shooting.

The department said, "The Cedartown Police Department is aware that a city police officer shot and killed a donkey in the early hours of Sunday morning."

Police also confirmed the investigation into the shooting has been handed over to the Georgia Department of Agriculture Law Enforcement Division. The department said it cannot comment further while that investigation is ongoing.

HeeHaw's owner shared a statement addressing the loss and the attention the story has received online. She said, "He wasn't 'just a donkey.' He was a baby I bottle-raised, loved, and cared for every single day."