Cat thought to have been tied up, shot with paintball gun in North Dumfries, Ont.

A cat rescue in Kitchener, Ont., believes an animal in its care was tied up and used as a paintball target.

The little white cat may be getting showered with love and treats now, but that was far from the case just over a week ago.

“[I] saw the email come through about a cat that was found on the road,” said Tammy Tanner, founder of Kitchener Stray Cat Rescue. “The individual said that he saw her and he kept looking back and she was running after him in the car.”

The red on Shera's neck shows where she was tied up. (Spencer Turcotte/CTV News)

The cat was found near Alps Road in North Dumfries, Ont. It was then brought to a veterinarian because it appeared to have significant injuries.

“It was discovered that she was tied up around the neck by a rope, hit by paintballs. Obviously there’s pink and blue all over her body and she had some infection in her ears,” Tanner explained.

The cat was brought to the shelter after seeing the vet, who confirmed the injuries and what may have caused them.

Blue paint on Shera's legs. (Spencer Turcotte/CTV News)

With no chip or any leads about where she came from, she was given a new name – Shera.

“I grew up watching He-Man and She-Ra,” explained Tanner. “Shera was like the warrior, she escaped her captors and ran to the road, looked for safety and chased down a car. Pretty cool.”

Now the focus is on finding who did this to Shera.

The cat rescue has offered up a $1,000 reward for information that could lead to an arrest.

“If we can find people who are responsible and get justice for her, maybe it will stop all this torturing,” Tanner said.

Shera the cat. (Spencer Turcotte/CTV News)

The Waterloo Regional Police Service is not investigating because there’s not enough information and no report was filed.

“I believe [Alps Road] is not residential, so I’m not sure how to do this because normally I would go door-to-door,” Tanner added.

The one-year-old cat is making improvements, but signs of paint and pain are still obvious.

“It’s just disgusting,” Tanner said. “It’s upsetting, but usually when we find them [in this shape], they’re dead.”

Shera, the white-furred warrior, beat all odds and found safety.

If no owner comes forward she will be put up for adoption in the coming months, once she’s fully healed. Then she can begin her next journey to find a safe home.