56°
Chris Arsenault, 65, was found dead alongside more than 100 cats after running back inside his Long Island rescue, Happy Cat Sanctuary, in a desperate attempt to save them from a fire early Monday, March 31, friend Jenny Ubinas said on Facebook.
Arsenault’s body was recovered by firefighters at the scene of the blaze, which broke out at his Medford sanctuary near Dourland Road and Clifford Lane, Suffolk County police said. Dozens of his beloved cats also perished.
Of the 300 cats inside at the time of the fire, at least 100 were killed, a police source told ABC 7. Nobody else was injured in the blaze.
Happy Cat Sanctuary is a non-profit organization that rescues cats and kittens from abuse. And its destruction has left animal-lovers in the community devastated.
Chris Arsenault at his Happy Cat Sanctuary in Medford in 2014.
Arsenault initially escaped the fire, but went back inside his home to rescue cats from their kennels, friend Jenny Ubinas wrote on Facebook.
Arsenault's official cause and manner of death will be determined by the Suffolk County Medical Examiner's Office. The cause of the fire is under investigation.
Affectionately known as "the cat man" around town, he dedicated his life to the rescue and care of hundreds of cats, having started Happy Cat Rescue in 2006 following the death of his son, according to his website.
"His blood, sweat, and tears went into this happy place for homeless cats. The last minutes of his life were spent trying to rescue cats from the fire," Ubinas said. "He went into the sanctuary one last time, and didn’t come out."
News of Arsenault's untimely death sparked a flood of tributes from those who knew him best. Jeffrey Rudden, of the National Foundation for Animal Rescue in New Jersey, remembered him as a "very kind person" in an email to Daily Voice.
"His dedication to the animals was incredible. We are saddened to learn of passing, as well as the passing of so many of his cherished cats," he wrote.
"He is a true hero," Sarah Faye added on Facebook.
Additional details about Arsenault's life were not immediately available. Loved ones are invited to share a statement, funeral details, and/or photos by emailing mmashburn@dailyvoice.com.
Click here to follow Daily Voice Plainview-Old Bethpage and receive free news updates.
