Happy Cat Sanctuary: A Tribute to Chris Arsenault's Compassion

Tragedy often reveals the extraordinary impact ordinary people have on our world. Such is the story of Christopher Arsenault, founder of the Happy Cat Sanctuary, whose life and death have touched thousands across the globe. Though I never had the privilege of meeting Chris personally, his legacy of compassion has profoundly moved me.

Chris dedicated his life to creating a sanctuary where hundreds of cats found safety, healing, and love. The images of these rescued felines draped lovingly across their caretaker tell a story more powerful than words – they felt completely safe with him. This sanctuary wasn't merely a shelter; it was a true home where abandoned, sick, and dying cats received a second chance at life through one man's extraordinary dedication.

The devastating fire that claimed Chris's life and many of his beloved cats has created an urgent crisis. Some cats escaped but suffered serious burns, while others remain missing. Organizations like Strong Island Animal Rescue League have mobilized to search for survivors, provide medical care, and continue Chris's mission. This tragedy has united cat lovers worldwide in grief and purpose, showing how death sometimes brings people together around a shared passion.

If Chris's story has touched your heart as it has mine, please consider supporting the GoFundMe campaign established to help the surviving cats. Every contribution, regardless of size, honors Chris's legacy and provides essential care for these vulnerable animals who suddenly lost their protector. Follow the Happy Cat Sanctuary page for updates and ways to help. Together, we can ensure that Christopher Arsenault's compassion continues to make a difference, even after his passing. What greater tribute could there be than continuing the work that defined his life?

A message from me to all my wonderful  followers.  Please  feel free to share your feedback. Click fan mail and leave me comments. 

My podcast host

Chapters

• 1:48 Introduction to Chris Arsenault
• 2:52 The Impact of Happy Cat Sanctuary
• 6:25 Support for the Sanctuary's Future
• 11:02 Aftermath of the Tragedy
• 14:13 Call for Help and Final Tribute

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:55

Hey there, I'm Regina Soren. Welcome back to another episode of Regina Soren Audio Series Presents. This morning I would like to talk about and pay a little tribute to the Happy Cat Sanctuary organizer founder, christopher Arsenault. I'm getting the name all messed up, christopher Arsenault, I think I got it right.

Speaker 1: 1:28

Now in this podcast you're probably going to hear some noises, because I am sitting on my patio and my spirit just wanted to talk about how this great man has made an impact on my life through death, because sometimes it's just like families, death brings people together and I think death is bringing people together like the cat lovers and different people like that, who love cats, who truly love cats and who loves animals. Because I love animals, I mean, I'm a deer lover. You know people who you know like deer to hunt and all that. I don't judge you because that's what you do. As for me, I love them, I think they're beautiful and I had the opportunity to you know, to meet some deers before and they were beautiful creatures up close and personal. Maybe not to the cars when you have an accident, but another host story, but I want to talk about Chris Arsenault this morning. Go ahead and give me a place that you can contact me. Contact me at swearingregina at gmailcom, and thank you to all who support this podcast monthly and to those who share and listen.

Speaker 1: 2:48

A week ago, I didn't know who Chris Arsenault was, although he was on Facebook. I do have a very popular Facebook fan page that deals in music stories. You know, my page is a page of positivity and music and you know I, a few years ago, when I had my radio show I, you know, interview people from all walks of life, so my page is from all walks of life. A week ago, I didn't know who Chris Arsenault was. Today, I know who he is after reading his story and, like so many thousands and millions of people around the world who have a chance to be drawn closer to this great man through his work and the things that he did and has done for cat lovers and for cats and for those cats oh Jesus, it's nothing short of remarkable, outstanding, and I only hate. The only thing I hate and I don't like to use the word hate, the only thing I hate is that I didn't have a chance to personally meet this great man in person or, at the most, at the least, had a chance to talk to him on the phone and interview him for one of my podcasts. I hate that I couldn't do that, but I'm so grateful that because of his great work and because of the great things that Mr Christopher Arsenault did in his lifetime, it has brought me and others you know closer together, a greater love for for that maybe make some of us want to go out and do some things like that, because he rescued these animals who were sick and dying. And I read his story and I look at the pictures and I cry. I cry. It's so sad. It's really sad.

Speaker 1: 5:20

I was reading his story and I'm like this man was making such a great impact on the world. I can't believe I didn't know him before the tragedy. You know, those cats loved him so much. You can look at the pictures and they were all over him. They loved him and he loved them and it's beautiful. I look at the pictures and I'm looking at his videos when he was alive. I'm looking at this from my fan page. I'm looking at this and I'm looking at all those cats all over him. They felt safe. They felt so safe, like a safe haven.

Speaker 1: 6:15

You know, sometimes people can be so jealous. I just gotta say it, sometimes people can be so jealous of your success I've had it, I have been through that People can be so jealous of your success that they can try to sabotage your good name, your good doings, and my spirit is just disturbed. I mean, I don't want to keep this as a happy podcast. Okay, I want to keep it happy, but I hate that I didn't have the opportunity to meet him. But I'm so thankful that today I can say that I don't follow many pages from my fan page, but I followed the Happy Hat Sanctuary fan page and that's something I don't do. I don't follow many pages. I follow Jimmy Page and some of my friends around the world in music and some other people, but I followed the Happy Cat Sanctuary page and if you guys haven't followed that page yet, you need to really go over and follow it to see what's going on.

Speaker 1: 7:35

Is there anything you could do to help the page? I think I'm not sure who got the GoFundMe going, but they had the GoFundMe over there. Please support them Please. I don't care how much they raise. Please support them, because there isn't a number on money. There isn't a number on the things that you could do to help in a situation like this because there are cats out there who escaped the fire. You know they had a safe haven with Chris and then, when this tragedy happened, you know some of them, many of them, lost their lives. But there are some who are missing. There are some who are out there, hurt, burned badly, but there are some who are missing. There are some who are out there, hurt, burned badly. So, please, please, please, show your support, lend your support, give your support, please, please. It is much needed at this time, very much needed, and if you could donate to the GoFundMe, please do. However, you can give, if you're close by and there's things that you could do, continue to lend your helping hand. You go to the page and I'm sure that there are ways that you can help.

Speaker 1: 9:00

I'm on the page now and I'm looking. Oh God, look at him with those cats. That man loved those animals. Oh God, I hope. If this was an arson, I hope the people who did that was caught. I hope this was. I honestly hope that this was just an untimely fire. I do, I really do. I hope that this wasn't something that was done out of maliciousness. I really do. My spirit is very disturbed, but he was a great person, a great man.

Speaker 1: 9:39

I'm looking here, I'm going to turn it down a little bit, hey guys. No, I don't mean it that way. I mean, you got a video, I'm going to turn it down. I'm trying to see who this is, but I posted it up on my fan page. I'm going to turn this down so it won't come up. I'm going to turn this down so it won't come up, so I'm going to put it back to that.

Speaker 1: 10:10

And I think Strong Island Animal Rescue League is doing some work to help locate the missing cats, the ones who are injured. So please go and support that page and support those who are trying their best to help with this tragedy, because it's so bad, things are so bad, so bad. Yeah, please, please do what you can do. Um, I'm just over here at the page now just looking and it's so sad because some of the cats they made it and some of them did not make it and it's just really sad. It's really sad. It's so sad, it's so sad. Oh, my God, I mean, if this was an arson, I hope and pray that the people are caught.

Speaker 1: 11:14

I do those poor cats and Chris, he loved them so much he would go back from this. I'm reading his story. He would go back in and try to get as many out there that he could. But we all know that smoke, that smoke will kill you. Inhalation, that smoke, that's what kills people, the smoke. And he was trying to get in and get those cats. He loved those cats. Oh God, it's so sad, but again, just please go to the page Happy Cat Sanctuary and also Strong Island Animal Rescue League. They're doing a great thing.

Speaker 1: 12:00

So please go and help, please, please, please go and help, because they need your help really bad. So it's so sad. Look at that, that baby trying to eat with all those spots over his eyes, those burned spots. A week ago they were safe, they felt safe, a safe haven. I think it happened in the morning time, so they're probably just getting ready to get up for breakfast. So just pray for them y'all and if you can help and support and donate, please do that. It's very needed at this time. Please do it, please do it, please do it, please do it. So may Christo us in paradise and those animals that was lost in the fire. May their little hearts and selves rest in peace as well.

Speaker 1: 13:29

I'm reaching a sword. I'm sorry, guys. I thought I was going to get out here and be strong. You know, like I woke up, I'm like I'm going to be upbeat. I'm not going to get out here and be strong. You know, like I woke up, I'm going to be upbeat, I'm not going to cry, but it's a hard thing for me to do, not to cry. Thank you for listening, thank you for those who support this podcast Monthly and thank you for those who listen and share. You can contact me at and please don't forget To go over to those different pages that I called out and lend your support. Thank you so much. Thank you Bye.