A tragic hearth at a Lengthy Island animal sanctuary has left a whole group in mourning. Early Monday morning, a blaze tore by means of the Glad Cat animal sanctuary in Medford, claiming the lifetime of its founder and greater than 100 cats.
Police responded to the fireplace round 7:15 a.m. By the point the flames had been extinguished at 8:35 a.m., the sanctuary was diminished to rubble. Suffolk County police confirmed that 65-year-old Christopher Arsenault, the person behind the sanctuary, was killed within the hearth—believed to have perished whereas making an attempt to avoid wasting the animals beneath his care.
The sanctuary was house to at the least 300 cats. Officers say at the least a 3rd are believed to have died within the hearth, although efforts are ongoing to rescue, deal with, and rehome the survivors.
Detectives from each the murder and arson squads are actively investigating the reason for the fireplace. Whereas it’s too early to find out precisely the way it began, the circumstances have raised suspicions. Suffolk County Police Chief of Detectives William Doherty acknowledged that it was too quickly to verify the trigger, however the investigation stays open.
Lengthy Island animal rights activist John DeBacker posted on Fb that Arsenault had been harassed within the months main as much as the fireplace. He speculated that the fireplace could possibly be associated, encouraging followers to protect any on-line interactions that could be related to a possible arson investigation. DeBacker declined to remark additional when contacted by the media.
Suffolk County SPCA Chief Roy Gross described the loss as a devastating blow to each the animal rescue group and people who knew Arsenault personally.
It’s a horrible state of affairs, Gross mentioned. Actually tragic.
Based on data, Glad Cat Inc. was a nonprofit created to offer a protected haven for cats in want. Arsenault started the sanctuary in 2006 after dropping his son in a motorbike accident. Buddies say it grew to become his life’s mission, and he was engaged on relocating the sanctuary upstate to broaden the care he may supply.
On the day of the fireplace, a number of rescue teams and volunteers rushed to the location to assist. The remaining cats had been being rounded up, given medical care, and ready for brand new placements. A number of organizations stepped in instantly to make sure that the animals acquired meals, shelter, and vet consideration.
Whereas investigators proceed to seek for solutions, Arsenault is being remembered as a person who devoted his life to caring for animals, particularly those that had nowhere else to go. His loss, together with the lives of so many cats, has shaken the group.
Those that knew Arsenault described him as variety, passionate, and deeply devoted to each animal he rescued. Within the face of adversity, he continued to struggle for the lives that relied on him.
His legacy lives on within the lots of of animals he saved—and within the hearts of those that proceed his mission.
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