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This report was updated at 3:14 p.m on Monday.
Authorities say it is too early to determine the cause of the fire that tore through a Medford cat sanctuary early Monday morning, killing its owner and more than 100 cats.
The blaze started about 7:15 a.m. at a home at 12 Dourland Road and quickly engulfed the structure. The Gordon Heights Fire Department was first on the scene, but the fire was already fully involved.
Authorities said Chris Arsenault, 65, the founder of Happy Cat, Inc. sanctuary, was found dead inside the house. Arsenault, who reportedly had ran back into the house to save the cats from the fire, began rescuing cats in 2006 after his 24-year-old son, Eric, died in a motorcycle accident.
Suffolk County Police Chief of Detectives William Doherty said investigators are still working to determine the cause of the fire.
“It’s too early in the investigation to determine any cause,” he said.
Friends and supporters described Arsenault as a dedicated rescuer who devoted his life to caring for cats in need.
“The cats had beautiful homes. They were very well fed. They were very affectionate and very happy,” Ellen Pavlakis, a friend of Arsenault, said. “[Chris] was just very kind. It’s just horrific. May God be with his family. We should all say a prayer for him. He lived by simple means for himself so that he could take care of [the cats].”
Brookhaven Town Fire Marshal Chris Mehrman said the cats that did survive were living in shelters behind the house.
“There were a good number that did survive,” said Mehrman, who confirmed that the town has had multiple “district court actions” related to the property and the keeping of cats. He did not elaborate on the court actions.
John DeBacker, vice president of the Long Island Cat and Kitten Solution, posted about one lucky survivor who was rushed to Port Jefferson Animal Hospital.
Happy Cat Sanctuary, a nonprofit, no-kill rescue and rehabilitation center, specialized in caring for at-risk cats, including those that had been abused, neglected, or used as bait in dog fighting rings, according to its website. Arsenault had said that the sanctuary was planning to move to a property in upstate New York.
Nicholas Esposito contributed to this report.
Top photo: Brookhaven Town Fire Marshal Chris Mehrman (Credit: Nicholas Esposito).
