Sarnia police say a second arrest has been made in connection with the pellet gun shooting of Joe the cat.

Investigators say a 20-year-old Sarnia man was arrested around 8:30 a.m. Wednesday morning in the southeast area of the city and is being held in custody.

Police say he will face charges of one count of willfully causing unnecessary suffering and one count of willfully injuring an animal. His name has not been released.

Also Wednesday, the first man arrested in the case - 19-year-old Christopher Hammond of Sarnia - appeared in court and was granted bail.

He is facing two counts of animal cruelty, two counts of possession for the purpose of trafficking and one count of possession of a controlled substance.

He is scheduled to appear in court again on March 20.

Outside the courthouse a group of protesters was hoping to raise awareness about animal cruelty and try to push for harsher penalties.

Joe the cat was discovered by the side of the road in Brights Grove, just east of Sarnia, on Feb. 2 suffering from 17 pellet wounds to his head.

Surgery has since removed 16 of the pellets, and the Sarnia and District Humane Society has said Joe is recovering well at the Blue Cross Animal Hospital.