Dog in Will County abused, shot multiple times with paintball gun

Will County officials are searching for the suspects responsible for shooting an underweight female dog with a paintball gun.

The dog was later found wandering near Beecher in Washington Township.

On Wednesday, an officer with Will County Animal Control responded to a call from a resident regarding a trapped dog on their property, according to a statement from Will County Executive Jennifer Bertino-Tarrant’s Office.

The officer saw the dog was scared, suffering from infections in both ears and that she was “clearly shot multiple times on both sides of her body with purple paint from a paintball gun,” county officials said.

The dog was removed from a trap and taken to a shelter. County officials said the dog appeared to have had multiple litters.

“She is extremely affectionate and is showing love to everyone here,” said Anna Payton, administrator of Will County Animal Control. “We’ve named her Hermione, after the ‘Harry Potter’ character, because she is in need of a little magic in her life.”

Hermione will continue to receive care from animal control staff before a shelter is identified for her or if her owner steps forward, county officials said.

Anyone with information on Hermione’s owner or information on the suspects who abused her should call Will County Animal Control at 815-462-5633.

“Please do not share tips or other information on Facebook or social media, but please do give our staff a call immediately with any information that could help in finding the suspects,” county officials said.