Christopher Arsenault, a life for cats. He dies in an attempt to save more than 200 from a fire
The 65 -year -old man died in the sanctuary he had created and in which he himself lived. With him a hundred felines. Many volunteers ready to carry on his dream with surviving cats. But there are already unknown cases
He dedicated his entire existence to cats and did so to the last, also coming to die for them. Christopher Arsenault65 years old last February 20, lost his life in an attempt to secure the Over 200 cats ofHappy Cat Sanctuarya hospitalization for felines that he himself had founded and made to grow in Medford, in the metropolitan area of New York, after a violent fire broke out for reasons still to be ascertained. About 150 survived. The man lived inside the structure, in a room that was at the same time bedroom, kitchen and living room.
«His life took place only for cats – he explains Roy Grosshead of the SPCA, the animal protection of the Suffolk County -. Christopher was satisfied with that small space, where he had a bed, a microwave oven and a small refrigerator. Every penny he had available he poured him into the care of his animals». His passion for felines had always had it, but had become the reason for his existence in 2006, as a response to the pain felt for The death of his son Ericdied at 24 years after a motorcycle accident.
He began to deal with a colony of about thirty cats mostly sick or veterans from violence, bringing them back to health and guaranteeing them a future. He has no longer stopped, gradually increasing the number of storage animals. When he had the opportunity he opened his refuge and renamed him « Happy Cat Sanctuary », the « sanctuary»Of the happy cat, resorting to a term that is widely used to identify the protected areas for animals in the process of extinction or for those recovered from situations exploitation – such as those of the circuses – which cannot be put back in nature, after years of captivity. He did not choose it at random, because for him all cats had to be saved and everyone had to be guaranteed a new possibility.
He specialized in the rescue and rehabilitation of cats back from bad experiences, mistreated, beaten, captured by the gangs to be used as baits in dog fighting. He participated in the capture and sterilization programs of wandering animals, which were then reported in their environments without the risk of uncontrolled proliferations and thus contributing to the reduction of the number of strays. And he found a home to many of them, entrusting them with hundreds of families.
There was no lack of problems with the neighborhood, worried about the great concentration of felines. And recently the sanctuary had been the subject of accusations by an activist who claimed that the animals were not treated with humanity, accusation to which Arsenault had responded with a video denying any charge. The same head of the animal protection confirms that his staff has inspected the structure several timesat least about ten over the years, always finding respect for the rules and well -being of animals, found well fed and assisted with attention and care. « It was certainly not a serial accumulator – explains Gross -. He was a good person who did the right thing. It is a hero for what he did».
And as such is remembered today on social networks, both by those who had known him, and by those who learned their history through the news articles of these days. As often happens, the tragedy also follow Darking episodes. The management of the sanctuary has publicly denounced the scam attempts that arrived after the first appeals to donations. The refuge, in fact, has been destroyed and is usable and surviving cats need to be relocated and in many cases cared for.
Different from the cats out of the stake have Wounds and burns on the bodysome suffer the consequences ofsmoking poisoning. The SPCCA placed its own outside the area Veterinary field hospital in which it is also possible to carry out surgery, the same used to help dogs and cats recovered from the rubble a Ground Zero After the attack of 11 September 2001. But the treatments and transfers cost and the availability of the volunteers is not enough. Hence the extraordinary collection of funds, directly on the refuge channels and through online subscriptions. « But we will report and fully pursue all fraudulent attempts to exploit this tragedy » announce the managers of the Happy Cat.
Arsenault had planned to transfer the structure to a new location, in A farm with a land of 12 hectares which he had found in the northern area of the State of New York. « We want to make an even better sanctuary – explained Christopher from the Happy Cat web page – where we can have separate areas for different cats of cats. Internal areas and closed external areas and safe for cats ». A dream that has never come true and that can hardly be carried out without him, also because all surviving animals are now sorted in different destinations. But his friends and collaborators will evidence us and the first willingness to be an active part of the project already come from the network. This is the case of Ruth Westonwho lives right in the north of the state and deals with saving and rehabilitation of wild animals. «I would like to help the new sanctuary and carry on the fantastic inheritance of Chris. I would be happy to dedicate my life to keep his dream alive ».
