Dr Ward-McGrath had also launched a Santa Fund to help Ms Speers pay for the treatment and, after the Wairarapa Times-Age broke news of the shooting of Santa, donations poured in from across New Zealand and internationally.
The overwhelming generosity of donors topped more than $2000, easily paying for Santa's treatment, and led to the founding of the VetCare Angel Fund out of the Masterton clinic that would help fund treatment for any animals of similar abuse from across New Zealand, Dr Ward-McGrath said.
A benefactor had pledged to donate monthly to the fund and Dr Ward-McGrath said her professional peers around New Zealand were supportive and had offered to help.
She said Santa was recovering his sight and full health and he remained an endearing and social animal and was reunited with his family on Wednesday.
She also believed the bounty - $500 from an anonymous Masterton businessman and $1000 from national animal welfare group Paw Justice - would help keep Santa safe at home.
She said there had been no claims made on the bounty yet, but she was confident somebody would sooner or later come forward.
"I'm hopeful the bounty will encourage someone to come forward and the exposure will keep the culprit from ever doing it again.
"Abuse is something that happens in the dark, and as soon as you shine a light on it, it goes away.
"A cat has to be captured or cornered to be shot three times in the head, and the heart and intent of somebody who would do that three times is a red flag - that is an angry person who is likely to be male, likely to be aged 13 to 18." The person was also likely to be living in the near vicinity.
The clinic sent Santa home with a crate Ms Speers could use for him over the next couple of weeks, Dr Ward-McGrath said, and had fitted him with a collar and name tag in the hope "the whole community will love and help care for him as well".
"He's a gift and it's a miracle he survived. He really is a little miracle."
