The owners of a miniature donkey named HeeHaw have demanded $1 million from the city of Cedartown, Georgia, and filed a federal lawsuit against the police officer who shot and killed the animal last month.

Attorney Christopher McCormick sent the demand letter on September 11 to the Cedartown Police Department, the Board of Commissioners, and the city, giving officials 30 days to respond. He also filed suit against Officer Trenton Garner in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia in Rome.

The shooting occurred early on August 30 in a pasture along Grady Road in Polk County while officers searched for a missing 12-year-old girl. Garner, who was assisting in the search, entered the property without permission or warning, according to the owners. The family said the one-year-old donkey, which had been bottle-raised and participated in local petting zoos, approached the officers while braying.

Garner reported that he first attempted to use a Taser on the donkey before firing a single round from his department-issued Glock 17. He stated the animal was charging toward him and a K-9 handler, posing a threat. The missing child was later found safely near the area.

Hannah Israel, the donkey's owner, described HeeHaw as a beloved family member that never acted aggressively toward people. She has maintained that the officers had no right to enter the private pasture and that the shooting was unnecessary. The Cedartown Police Department placed Garner on administrative leave and turned the investigation over to the Georgia Department of Agriculture Law Enforcement Division.

The demand and lawsuit filing coincided with a rally in support of HeeHaw in Cedartown that ended in an altercation and an arrest. Israel's GoFundMe campaign to cover legal fees has raised tens of thousands of dollars.

The case is one of many that has prompted questions about police protocols for entering private property during searches and interactions with animals. No trial date has been set in the federal lawsuit as of Saturday morning.