An arrest has been made in the shooting of Joe the cat.

Sarnia Police said they arrested a 19-year-old Sarnia man at his home shortly after 6 p.m. Thursday, where officers with a search warrant also found several Oxycodone pills, approximately 50 codeine pills, and a small amount of marijuana.

The man, who faces animal cruelty and drug charges, was held for a bail hearing.

Joe, a two-year-old cat shot 17 times in the head with a pellet gun, was found alive Feb. 2 in Bright’s Grove.

All but one of the pellets were successfully removed in surgery last week.

"He had a couple of rough days, but he is coming along nicely," said Becky Knight, a cruelty investigator at the Sarnia Animal Shelter.

Sarnia police joined officials at the Sarnia Humane Society in the investigation that attracted wide attention.

"We had a number of people from the community contact us with different angles," Staff Sgt. Scott MacLean said Friday.

"The investigation led us down a certain path and, as a result, investigators executed a search warrant (Thursday) evening in 700 block of Earlscourt Dr., in Sarnia."

MacLean said the investigation is ongoing, and "additional search warrants will be conducted in the future."

Knight said 10 to 15 tips from the public came in to the shelter.

Joe’s story also attracted approximately $15,000 in donations to the Sarnia Humane Society to cover the cost of his medical care.

Animal shelter officials have said those costs were expected to be in the range of $2,000 to $4,000, leaving the balance to treat other animals recovering from abuse.

Members of the public also offered a cash reward for information leading to an arrest.

Bright’s Grove resident Bruce Ritchie was driving home from church Feb. 2 when he spotted the injured cat alongside Lakeshore Road, near Mike Weir Park.

Initially believing the cat had been hit by a car, Ritchie took it to the animal shelter where staff discovered the pellet wounds.

Shelter staff named the cat Joe, and he was taken to the Blue Cross Veterinary Hospital for care.

As well as removing 16 of the pellets during an initial three-hour surgery, Joe’s right eye was removed because it had been damaged in the shooting. The one remaining pellet was lodged in the cat’s cheekbone.

"This case ended up getting both national and international attention," MacLean said.

He said that along with tips, police received calls from members of the public expressing concern for Joe, and support for the joint investigation.

Christopher Hammond, 19, of Sarnia, faces numerous drug and animal cruelty charges.

He will next appear in court on Feb. 19 for a bail hearing.

paul.morden@sunmedia.ca