Suffolk County Police Chief of Detectives William Doherty announced at midday on Monday, March 31st they are actively investigating the Medford blaze that took the lives of the beloved owner of Happy Cat Sanctuary and at least 100 cats.
“It’s too early” to determine any cause, Doherty said.
There were reportedly 300 cats in or around the house at the time of the fire, which broke out at about 7:15 a.m. By the time the Gordon Heights Fire Department arrived, the fire had spread to the point of no return for the Dourland Road home.
Many friends of the 65-year-old victim—Chris Arsenault, who officials announced had run back into the home to save as many of the kittens he kept as he could—and supporting organizations took to social media to express their heartbreak over the loss.
“Chris was a good neighbor, he really cared about the cats,” said Rosalie Hanson, who lived down the street from him. "This is really tragic. I can’t believe this happened.”
“I am absolutely gutted right now,” Community Cat Care wrote on Facebook. “My heart is just in pieces over this today. RIP to all of the cats who perished in this tremendously tragic fire.”
As marketed on their website, Happy Cat Sanctuary was a nonprofit, no-kill rescue and rehabilitation center that specialized in caring for at-risk cats, including those that had been abused, neglected, or used as bait in dog-fighting rings.
Arsenault first began rescuing cats in 2006 after his son Eric, died in a motorcycle accident, at the age of 24.
Brookhaven Town Fire Marshal Chris Mehrman indicated that a good number of cats–such as one that was rushed to a Port Jefferson Animal Hospital and issued a clean bill of health—did survive; they were not living in the house, but rather in shelters behind the destroyed property.
Arsenault’s neighbor Hanson added that she hopes investigators “...find out the cause and [that] it wasn’t set on purpose.”
Adds Jodi Ann Spear in her foul play-suspecting tribute to Arsenault: “Despite being harassed for months, he continued to fight for the cats and I truly hope everyone can screenshot posts from one of the groups that has been harassing him in case arson is connected, and as of right now, the scene is closed off as a crime scene.”
The Strong Island Animal Rescue League posted that many of the displaced cats are available to foster. Interested parties can contact the league directly on Facebook for more information.
"The cats that did survive are being contained. Strong Island Animal Rescue is setting up a perimeter to keep them safe. We fed and watered them last night," Lisa Jaeger of Strong Island.
Animal Rescue said in a video update. "He [Chris] kept taking cats out until he went back in... and he didn’t come out."
"We lost the best man on the face of the planet," Jaeger added, her voice trembling while fighting back tears. "We’re just going to need everybody’s support now to continue his dream.”