Chris Arsenault lived in Medford, New York, on Long Island, with hundreds of cats. He started with a couple of cats, then stumbled on a colony of more than 30 cats near his house, (most in poor health). He moved the colony back to his house to care for them. It gave him hope to see them get healthy.
He continued to take in homeless cats, transforming his home (and yard) into a haven he named Happy Cat Sanctuary. In his house he lived in one bedroom, and fixed the other rooms to accommodate his growing cat colony, adding shelves and towers, making holes in the walls and floors to allow the cats to roam and explore. He bought more land and expanded the kitty compound, creating a haven for any cat in need. Eventually he was caring for several hundred cats, all spayed or neutered. It was a cat paradise for felines with nowhere else to go.
But - on March 31st, the unthinkable happened. Fire broke out, putting Chris and his feline friends at risk. With all the open areas, the fire spread rapidly. Chris frantically tried to save his cats, rescuing maybe a couple hundred, but sadly lost his own life when he went back into the house to rescue more animals and never came back out. As of today, the count is more than one hundred sixty cats (and one human) that lost their lives in that fire.
The survivors are counted at more than 200 cats. They are sheltered at a warehouse where they are treated by veterinarians who volunteered to assist, along with other volunteers who feed and care for the cats. Rescuers continue to search the area for remaining cats. Eventually all survivors will be offered for adoption, with preference given to Long Island residents. Investigators have determined the fire may have been caused by a propane space heater.
If you want to help, a GoFundMe page has been set up to Support Happy Cat Sanctuary after the tragic fire. Even in tragedy, I am encouraged by how much people care, when we’re speaking of pets.
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