A K-9 handler with the Cedartown Police Department noticed a baby donkey named Heehaw charging at the group during a search for a missing child. Officer Trenton Garner, 24, has been placed on paid leave while an internal investigation is conducted after he shot and killed the donkey during the search in Cedartown, Georgia. The incident occurred when Garner was called to assist a bloodhound team that was tracking footprints leading to Elsberry Riding and Farm, where Heehaw lived. The officers entered the pasture due to the "exigency of locating this missing juvenile," meaning the urgency of finding the child. According to the incident report, Garner attempted to use a taser on Heehaw but was unsuccessful. When that failed, he drew his firearm and shot the donkey. Garner stated in the report that he fired his weapon to "protect himself, the K-9 officer and the team of bloodhounds." Hannah Israel, Heehaw’s owner, expressed deep sorrow over the loss, describing the donkey as her son who was raised in the home and never exposed to outsiders. The missing child was later found safe at a church near the pasture where Heehaw lived. The investigation into the incident has been handed over to the Georgia Department of Agriculture Law Enforcement for an independent review. Cedartown Police Chief has offered condolences to the family and asked the community to pray for those affected, while also requesting patience as the investigation proceeds.