On the opening day of deer season, a stray bullet killed Angelique, a small donkey at Hasty’s Haven Farm near Anderson, South Carolina. She was standing in plain view in her pen, just steps from the farm’s house and buildings. Angelique had lived at the nonprofit animal rescue for five years and once worked as a therapy donkey for children with special needs.

The South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR) cited the hunter for negligently using a firearm and for hunting inside the state’s 300-yard safety zone around a home. A citation can’t bring Angelique back, and it may not be enough to stop the next reckless shot.

Hasty’s Haven is not an empty field. Children and homeschool students visit the farm, and family members and volunteers work there day after day caring for rescued animals. Owner Joann Kelly told WYFF News 4 that her first thought was how easily the bullet could have hit one of them. “If you are going to mistake a donkey that looks like that for a deer, you probably should not have a gun,” Kelly said, according to WYFF News 4.

The 300-yard rule exists to protect families, farms and animals. Responsible hunters already follow it, and they deserve a system that holds careless shooters fully accountable. A citation alone sends the wrong message when a bullet lands steps from where children gather.

The South Carolina General Assembly and SCDNR should raise the penalties for negligent firearm use while hunting, including license suspension and restitution to animal owners, and step up enforcement of the 300-yard safety zone around homes, farms and livestock during deer season.

Sign the petition to demand real consequences for reckless hunters before the next stray bullet hits a person instead of a pet.