Cops reportedly entered a family property in Georgia, without notification or permission, and left after ending a beloved pet donkey’s life.
The animal’s eyes were still wide open when his doting pet parent, Hannah Israel, cried over his body.
Hannah is now preparing for a legal fight following the loss of her beloved “bottle baby donkey,” whom they lovingly called HeeHaw.
Georgia cops allegedly entered a family’s property without permission while chasing a suspect
The final moments of HeeHaw’s life unfolded on his own pasture in Cedartown, near the Alabama border.
The four-legged friend’s home was on the Elsberry Riding & Farm in Rockmart, where he was raised with love and care by Hannah Israel.
He unfortunately met a tragic end on August 30.
At around 12:45 a.m., cops from the local police department entered the property while chasing a suspect.
That’s when they encountered HeeHaw.
Cops later claimed that the donkey ran towards them and was braying.
They allegedly tried to Taser the animal before firing their weapon at him.
HeeHaw was a bottle-raised pet donkey who was treated like part of the family
“At 12:45am cops entered my pasture searching for a missing person WITHOUT permission or warning and sh*t and k*lled my bottle raised BABY donkey,” a heartbroken Hannah wrote on Facebook.
She said the cops fired at HeeHaw because they thought they were in danger.
“[He] was sh*t and k*lled in his OWN pasture for doing what donkeys do. Alerting to a stranger. There is no way this is legal! I will be taking legal action,” she added.
“We are heartbroken,” Hannah wrote. “He was my son.”
The grieving 30-year-old, who called herself “just a local girl in the community saying what happened to my HeeHaw,” said the donkey was raised in their house and was a “loved member” of their family.
He “did many petting zoos and made many people smile,” read her message on a GoFundMe page.
Hannah is now seeking answers over the incident and said the GoFundMe page was created for their legal fees as well as setting up a HeeHaw foundation.
None of the money would be used for their personal needs, she added.
She received an outpouring of support on the fundraising page, which had an initial target of $30,000.
The grieving 30-year-old set up a GoFundMe page and received an outpouring of support
So far, the fundraiser has received over $113,250 in donations.
Hannah later shared an update saying they were “blown away” by the community’s support.
She thanked people not only for their donations but also for sharing her posts, for making tshirts, and even calling and texting her.
“Heehaws life mattered and y’all have proved that!” she added.
In her update, she noted that she hired a lawyer who won’t be using the money raised through GoFundMe.
She then said people who donated money specifically for legal fees can get reimbursed.
As for the remaining donations, she said they will be using the money for the farm, to take care of their animals, and also for the HeeHaw foundation.
“None of it for our personal needs. This is not a pay day for us. Heehaws life has no monetary value,” she added. “Thank y’all so much for your support.”
“This is not a pay day for us. Heehaws life has no monetary value,” Hannah said
The police department has not commented on the family’s version of the incident, which still remains under investigation.
It was, however, confirmed by Cedartown officials that an unidentified officer had been placed on administrative leave.
The Polk county, Georgia, sheriff’s office, said its officers were not involved but still extended condolences.
“We extend our sincere condolences to the family and everyone affected by this unfortunate incident,” their statement said. “We understand the concern and sadness surrounding what occurred.”
As netizens extended their support online, many urged Hannah to “seek legal counsel.”
One said the cops should have never signed up if they were “afraid of a baby donkey.”
Others said they would be asking for body-cam footage of the incident as soon as possible and supported her decision in taking legal action.
“There is no way they thought they were in imminent danger of bodily harm from a tiny donkey like that,” one commented online
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