Will County Animal Control Seeking Information on Washington Township Dog Abuse Case

The Will County Animal Control Department is seeking the public’s assistance in providing information that could lead to identifying suspects of an animal abuse case, including information about the owner or possible perpetrators. The dog was found wandering on a local farm in unincorporated Washington Township, near the Village of Beecher, with clear signs of abuse and neglect, such as paintball spots from being used as target practice. 

“Animal abuse is not something that should be tolerated,” said Will County Animal Control Administrator Anna Payton. “This poor dog has faced several hardships and we’re asking that anyone with information about her owners or perpetrators of this abuse to step forward.” 

A Will County Animal Control Officer (ACO) responded to a resident call on September 27 regarding a trapped dog on their property. The ACO found that the dog was very scared, had infections in both ears, and was clearly shot multiple times on both sides of her body with purple paint from a paintball gun. She is underweight and appears to have had multiple litters of puppies. The ACO was able to calm her down and remove her from the trap. 

“She is recovering nicely and is receiving the care she needs at our shelter,” said Administrator Payton. “Staff is showing her lots of love and giving her extra special treats. She is extremely affectionate and is showing love to everyone here. We’ve named her Hermoine, after the Harry Potter character, because she is in need of a little magic in her life.” 

Hermoine will continue to receive care from Animal Control staff before a shelter is identified for her or if her owner steps forward. Any animal abuse suspects will be referred to local law enforcement for investigation. 

“Any information the public can provide us at this time is critical in finding the people responsible,” said County Executive Jennifer Bertino-Tarrant. “Thank you to our amazing Animal Control Officers for their hard work to save animals in our county and help protect innocent creatures from these abusive situations.”

Anyone with information on the owner of the dog or information on who the perpetrators are that used Hermoine as target practice are urged to call Will County Animal Control at (815) 462-5633 immediately. 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.