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Chris Arsenault was known to friends as “TJ,” short for “Toast Jr.,” a nickname earned from his perpetual tan and sunny disposition.
He was the kind of guy who’d put on a chicken suit and rollerblade through town if it meant spreading joy — or drawing attention to his small business.
Years before he built the Happy Cat Sanctuary in Medford and became a widely admired champion for feral and abandoned cats, Arsenault was a father, a volunteer firefighter, a slick-fielding outfielder for many softball teams, and a beloved figure in his Port Washington community.
This week, loved ones and supporters from across Long Island and beyond are expected to gather to mourn the 65-year-old rescuer who died March 31 while trying to save the animals in his care as a fire tore through the sanctuary he built.
Visitation is scheduled for Wednesday, April 9, from 4 to 8 p.m. at Fairchild Sons Funeral Chapel, 1570 Northern Blvd. in Manhasset.
An obituary posted to the funeral home’s website offers a fuller picture of Arsenault’s life before his work with Happy Cat.
Born in Port Jefferson in 1960, he was raised in Port Washington, where he attended Paul D. Schreiber High School and met his former wife, Karen. They raised two children, Kristen and Eric.
Arsenault volunteered as an auxiliary police officer and as a member of the Protection Engine Company of the Port Washington Fire Department. The first recipient of the fire department’s “Golden Glove” trophy, Arsenault played in multiple local softball leagues and once helped his squad capture a first-place finish in the annual New York State Volunteer Firemen’s Softball Tournament.
He briefly ran Pudgie’s Chicken on Main Street, where his promotional antics — including the chicken suit — earned him a reputation for good-natured goofiness and community pride.
‘Snapper’ was the first
It was around that time that he and his family adopted their first cat, “Snapper,” rescued from a litter that nested behind a fish store. The number of animals in their home quickly grew.
Nine cats, two dogs, two ferrets, a pair of iguanas, a snake, some gerbils — even a tarantula.
His passion for animals turned into a calling. Soon after he tragically lost his 24-year-old son in a motorcycle accident in 2006, Arsenault founded the Happy Cat Sanctuary in Medford — home to hundreds of felines who otherwise might not have found care or safety.
“There was no one like Chris. A true Angel on Earth and now a Guardian Angel in Heaven. God bless you, my friend,” Lisa McEwen wrote in a tribute on Arsenault’s obituary.
Even people who never met Arsenault have long been touched by his generous spirit.
“Chris, I followed you for many year’s on Facebook and often commented on your many videos. I [also] have a Cat Sanctuary in my state,” wrote Candy Richardson. “You were my mentor and gave meaning to keep rescuing the abandoned and unwanted … I am so devastated by your loss and your furbabies. You truly are a HERO.”
Arsenault’s devotion never wavered. Witnesses said he ran into the flames during the early morning fire on March 31 in an effort to rescue as many cats as he could. He never made it back out. More than 100 cats also died in the blaze.
His death has drawn an outpouring of support from around the world. Nearly $900,000 has been raised to care for the surviving cats and to support the construction of a new Happy Cat Sanctuary facility upstate.
Lisa Jaeger, a fellow rescuer and close ally of Arsenault’s, has been coordinating recovery efforts and said a massive public memorial is also in the works. Some supporters have suggested that they intend to fly in from across the country and overseas to attend.
Rescue teams have saved or recovered some 150 cats who were at the sanctuary at the time of the fire, many of whom are being treated for severe burns.
Lifesaving work continues
In the video below, Frankie Floridia rescues an injured cat that was found hiding in a rotting tree stump near the cat sanctuary property.
Below is an update on the rescue effort that Jaeger posted Sunday night.
Arsenault is survived by his daughter, Kristen; his brothers, Mark and Joseph; his sister, Elizabeth Sheridan; and several extended family members.
Top photo: Chris Arsentault (Facebook/Happy Cat, Inc.)
