Police Shoot Baby Donkey in Georgia, Sparking Investigation and Outrage

A baby donkey named HeeHaw was shot and killed by police officers in Polk County, Georgia, early on Sunday, August 30, 2026, prompting an investigation and an outpouring of public outrage. The incident occurred around 12:45 a.m. at Elsberry Riding and Farm in Cedartown, near the Alabama border, when officers from the Cedartown Police Department and the Polk County Police Department entered the property's pasture while searching for a missing person. According to the farm's owner, Hannah Israel, 30, the officers entered without permission or warning. The donkey, described as a bottle-raised baby that was raised in the house and participated in petting zoos, reportedly ran toward the officers while braying. Israel stated that the officers claimed they felt in danger and, after attempting to use a Taser, shot and killed the animal. "He was my son," Israel wrote on social media, expressing heartbreak over the loss. She described HeeHaw as an animal that "never knew a stranger" and was killed for "doing what donkeys do. Alerting to a stranger.