50 more cats found dead after Happy Cat Sanctuary fire, rescuers say

Volunteers searching the basement of a charred Medford home and cat sanctuary Monday found the remains of 50 more cats killed last week in a fire that claimed the lives of another 100 of the sheltered animals along with their caregiver.

Monday's discovery at the Dourland Road residence brought the toll to 158 cats killed in the fire, Suffolk County SPCA Chief Roy Gross said. There could have been up to 400 cats living on the property and in the home at the time of the early morning fire, according to Gross.

"We knew there were more than 300 cats and after finding so many killed in the fire, we know there may have been more," Gross said. "it’s just unbelievable. The whole thing is a real tragedy."

The fire March 31 also killed the founder of the sanctuary, Christopher Arsenault, 65.

Fire marshals said the cause of the fire was undetermined, but not suspicious. Investigators could not rule out the role of propane space heaters in the home. 

There may be another 60 cats still roaming the property or the surrounding neighborhood, said Frankie Floridia, president of Strong Island Animal Rescue.

Floridia said he was able to access the basement of the home for the first time Monday and found the remains of the 50 cats.

"It's a tough day today," Floridia said. "I'm chilled to the bone."

So far, rescue groups have retrieved about 180 surviving cats, mostly in good health, according others involved in the effort. The cats have been taken to a Holbrook warehouse where they are receiving additional care, as well as treatment by veterinarians, using the Suffolk SPCA’s mobile hospital. 

Veterinarians treated 148 cats Sunday, including testing for feline aids and leukemia. The cats were sedated and microchipped while being assessed for potential adoption, said Lisa Jaeger, a board member for the Happy Cat Sanctuary.

The plan has been to keep the cats at the warehouse for the next few weeks but it was nearing capacity Monday with about 200 individual cages, Jaeger said.

"The problem is there is no room and we’re running out of cage space for the animals we have now," Jaeger said. "We’re hoping local rescues can help by starting to take animals and we hope we can get the rest of the animals adopted."

Of the cats rescued, up to 125 may be feral, while others are considered friendly or simply frightened and in need of rehabilitation before they can be adopted, Jaeger said.

Veterinarians found 14 cats with feline leukemia that were given antibiotics, she said. All of the cats are spayed or neutered.

A private service for Arsenault is planned Wednesday for close friends and family in Manhasset, Arsenault’s daughter, Kristen Arsenault, said Monday. She said a larger memorial service may be held at another date.

Christopher Arsenault was born in Port Jefferson and moved to Port Washington as a child, according to a family obituary. He met his former wife, Karen, at Paul D. Schreiber High School. They had two children, including a son, Eric, who died in a 2006 motorcycle crash.

Friends and family said Christopher Arsenault started the Happy Cat Sanctuary in his son’s memory while turning to rescue to cope with the grief. The sanctuary was dedicated to rescuing cats from abuse and neglect and reducing the feral cat population through trap, neuter, and release, according to its website.

The family said donations can be made to the sanctuary through Happy Cat Inc. A separate GoFundMe fundraiser after the fire had raised more than $765,000 by Monday.

"He did put me in charge of making sure his legacy is continued and do everything in my power to do so," Kristen Arsenault said. 

By John Asbury

john.asbury@newsday.comJohnAsbury

John Asbury is a breaking news and general assignment reporter. He has been with Newsday since 2014 and previously worked at The Press-Enterprise in Riverside, California.