Volunteers work to ensure cats are safe, healthy after sanctuary owner killed in fire on Long Island
MEDFORD, Long Island (WABC) -- A day after the owner of an animal sanctuary was killed in a fire on Long Island, volunteers worked Tuesday to care for hundreds of displaced cats.
A group from Jaeger's Run Animal Rescue showed up to support the Happy Cat Sanctuary in Medford, a Suffolk County hamlet.
Volunteers said they planned to set up a makeshift sanctuary at a warehouse in Holbrook where all the cats would be set up with cages, carriers, and litter boxes.
Anyone wishing to support the care of the cats can donate to this GoFundMe.
The blaze broke out around 7:15 a.m. at the sanctuary on Dourland Road. The home served as a safe haven for hundreds of cats.
Officials said owner, Chris Arsenault, 65, was found dead on the main floor in the back of his home.
On Tuesday, the Suffolk County SPCA confirmed that more than 100 cats had also died in the fire.
Friends said Arsenault went back into the home to rescue the animals after the fire broke out.
"This man lived in an 8x10-foot bedroom with a mini fridge and a microwave, every dime he made, everything he collected went toward the animals, he was selfless, he took nothing for himself, this is just so unfair," friend Lisa Jaeger said.
Arsenault began rescuing cats in 2006 after his 24-year-old son died in a motorcycle crash.
"If you go back to some of the videos, the cats are crawling on him, they were happy, it was a great place for them and safe until this happened," said Ellen Pavlakis.
Members of the animal rescue community were devastated to learn about the fire and Arsenault's death.
"We all knew Chris for many years as all of our corporations all work together in the community, so if he needed help he would call our agency, if we needed help, we would call his agency and that's how Long Island works with the animal rescues, we all work together," said John Spat, director of Animal Protection Service. "There's not going to be another Chris, ever who does this, and all we can do is try to recover what he was trying to do and try to move forward and help his organization work forward."
The investigation into the cause of the fire is ongoing.
----------
* Download the abc7NY app for breaking news alerts
Submit a tip or story idea to Eyewitness News
Have a breaking news tip or an idea for a story we should cover? Send it to Eyewitness News using the form below. If attaching a video or photo, terms of use apply.