The No Kill Project

03/08/2026

WHEN LIES GO TOO FAR

While it is always our preference to preserve peace and avoid unnecessary conflict, there are moments when blatant lies leave us no choice but to defend ourselves against defamatory accusations.

An image included in our post yesterday has now been claimed to be fabricated. Because of that claim, we are forced to address the allegation directly and provide context.

On April 9, 2025, a Facebook profile operating under the name Sarah Marie was active online.
A comment was posted on one of Sarah Marie’s posts by Amanda Deely, now known online as Manda Mopar. The comment itself is deeply disturbing. It mocks people with disabilities through the use of a meme. Now, nearly a year later, the authenticity of that comment is being questioned. For that reason, we are sharing the origin of the image and documentation.

At the time this comment was made, rescues on Long Island were still reeling from the devastating fire that had occurred just 9 days earlier. Many organizations were focused entirely on supporting animals and assisting where possible. Our organization was preparing to aid the upstate sanctuary at a moment’s notice if needed. The suggestion that we would fabricate pages or manufacture evidence during that time, or at any time, is not only false, but damaging.

Given the ongoing gaslighting and accusations, we also feel it is important to demonstrate that this behavior appears to be part of a broader pattern.

A Form 13909 was submitted to the IRS on December 15, 2025, and later provided to us by an individual who stated they felt taken advantage of while receiving services from the nonprofit listed in the complaint. Even more concerning are text messages in which this individual alleges that he was asked to assist in removing Yasmin Rivera from the upstate property, including being offered airfare to New York, allegedly funded by the nonprofit organization, to help carry this out.

In our post yesterday, we also stated that Yasmin has been subjected to significant harassment and stalking. We further noted that individuals not publicly affiliated with HCS appear to have access to camera footage from the upstate property. This claim was also dismissed as false.
However, the video clip we are sharing shows outside parties viewing and recording that camera footage. It has been alleged that this recording was made in an attempt to gather information to assist in the unlawful removal of Yasmin as shown in the texts provided.

People who hold positions of power over vulnerable populations carry an enormous responsibility. The individuals they serve are not “clients.” They are recipients of care, and they deserve to be treated with dignity, respect, and compassion.

Unfortunately, the cyberbullying we have witnessed extends far beyond what was included in yesterday’s post. Some of the attacks are so vile that we will not repeat them here. However, if the victims of those attacks choose to share their experiences, they will have our full support in doing so.

03/06/2026

THE TRUTH AND IRONY OF THE BULLY PAGES AND THE REAL MEAN GIRLS

**Trigger warning: This post and its images contain content that can be triggering to some and includes mention of sexual assault and images that contain content of a violent, racist, and sexual nature, as well as profanity.**

The bully pages began soon after very real concerns were raised about the welfare of the cats rescued from Happy Cat Sanctuary. Whistleblowers began to come forward almost immediately after the events of March 31, 2025.

These profiles have leveled a torrent of endless stalking, harassment, and abuse against various people, most notoriously Kristina Gebers and Yasmin Rivera, that extends to the present day. Highly racialized and sexualized attacks, questioning a child’s sexual assault, and doctoring videos and images of both these women in demeaning, degrading, and violent situations is but only some of the despicable acts committed by these pages.

Eventually this cruelty spread its tendrils to Long Island, with these profiles and pages expanding their vicious mission to include attacking critical voices concerning animal welfare related to the Happy Cat Sanctuary recovery efforts and silencing any perceived dissent. As a result, animal advocates have endured the same harassment, had their livelihoods attacked after fraudulent complaints were made to their employers and, perhaps the most egregious of them all, a pet food bank that has operated in the Long Island community for years was forced to shut its doors due to a series of complaints made by the operators of these pages to the organization that supplied the food bank. Who suffered in the end? The animals who depended on that food to survive.

In a display of the most ironic, twisted, and repulsive, extreme behavior, some of the operators and biggest voices on these pages began an anti-bullying petition. But most disturbing of all is that they used the su***de of a person to drive engagement to the petition. The campaign of bullying and attempts to silence advocates knows no bounds when it comes to the bully pages.

Furthermore, any single voice, including organizations who actively helped and continue to help the survivors of HCS, were met with directed attacks as to fundraising efforts and even questioning whether or not certain cats should have been helped at all. All of this for the sake of loyalty towards certain individuals and not for the actual animals.

There is also evidence that people who are not directly or publicly affiliated with HCS have access to the camera footage at the upstate property where it is evident that they are actively stalking Yasmin Rivera’s movements—a person who is legally allowed to reside at the property. How do they have access to this footage? Is this legal?

Compassion and empathy are inextricably linked to caring for animals. However, it cannot be denied that the kindness we extend to animals also extends to the humans around us. It is deeply disturbing to see how certain individuals take such pleasure in eliciting great pain from others. All under the guise of championing Chris Arsenault and wanting to protect the sanctuary that he built… Heck, at least one of these people even has his picture hanging up in their living room.

While Chris Arsenault is no longer with us, and therefore we can only speculate how he would feel, we cannot imagine that he would want such acts of cruelty carried out in his honor.

To those of you who follow this page because you care about the cats and their welfare— look at these pages and profiles. Investigate them. See who comments on their content. Look at who their friends and followers are…

You may be surprised to find that some of these friends and followers are very close to the Happy Cat Sanctuary efforts. Some of these friends and followers are directly involved in caring for the cats.

Now ask yourself—are these the people that you would entrust an animals safety and well-being to?

The people who run these pages have very real names and very real identities. When they are revealed, may no one forget the depths of their depravity and their cruelty.

In New York, when a whistleblower who reports animal abuse or neglect is subjected to intimidation, harassment, or stalking, the situation can constitute illegal conduct.

Stalking and harassment are crimes under New York law. Using threats, such as frivolous lawsuits, to silence or punish someone for reporting abuse can be treated as retaliatory intimidation. This exposes the harasser to civil liability, potential criminal charges, protective orders, and serious consequences under anti-SLAPP principles, especially because animal abuse is a matter of public concern.

When stalking and harassment become so severe, no VPN roundabouts or Proton emails can protect a person from potential criminal charges. Fake social media pages and accounts can be subject to investigation and potentially serious legal consequences.

02/24/2026

Please consider donating.

Long Island needs more affordable options for veterinary care, as well as TNR services, and getting this clinic off the ground will be life changing for the cats of Long Island.

After years of success, we are beyond excited to share that we are expanding our little grassroots rescue into a small TNR and low-cost spay/neuter clinic for cats, in partnership with the incredible...

02/23/2026

“They’re going to the ‘Be With the Angels Rescue’”: Where have the leukemia cats gone?

The pieces have come together little by little over the last 11 months, but a few loose ends remain.

On Sunday, April 6, 2025, cats who were allegedly positive for the feline leukemia virus were placed in a van in the evening following their medical exams at the warehouse in Holbrook.

We know who the driver of the vehicle is, and we know that an unkind and snide remark was made about their destination by a person in a leadership role for HCS.

Other individuals close to the operation at the warehouse have recoiled at the mention of these animals and their fates. In turn, they have met requests for further clarification with hostility and anger.

So that begs the question… where did these cats go and what happened to them? The warehouse was established as a temporary sanctuary by that time. Why were they transported off the premises at night and reportedly never returned?

If you have information pertaining to the whereabouts of these animals or their fate, please reach out. Your confidence will be kept.

02/17/2026

YOU CAN CALL IT DRAMA. THE ANIMALS CALL IT SURVIVAL. IS THIS WHAT IT TAKES?

Is This the Only Way Accountability Happens?

In early January 2026, nearly all members of the CNY SPCA board of directors announced they would resign following a dramatic staff protest and walkout. Employees had publicly criticized the organization’s leadership, alleging that management was neglecting the shelter’s operations, that conditions were unsafe for animals, and that staff were overworked and not properly supported. The board agreed to a structured transition, saying they would step down and bring in nonprofit consultants to help reset the organization’s governance. State regulators, including the New York State Department of Agriculture & Markets, have signaled they will inspect the shelter as part of oversight efforts.

The situation at CNY SPCA is a clear example of how dramatic actions like staff walkouts, public protests, and legal pressure can force long-hidden problems into the open. In this case, employees and volunteers reached a breaking point and chose to speak publicly about alleged neglect, unsafe conditions, and leadership failures. Those actions triggered media attention, regulatory scrutiny, and ultimately the resignation of much of the board. While disruptive, these moments are often the only way systemic problems inside animal welfare organizations become visible to the public.

This pattern extends far beyond one shelter. Across the rescue world, neglect and even abuse can persist for years when organizations are shielded by reputations, donor goodwill, or a lack of oversight. Animals cannot speak for themselves, and staff often fear retaliation if they raise concerns internally. Walkouts, protests, and lawsuits are usually last-resort tools, but they can expose overcrowding, medical neglect, financial mismanagement, and leadership misconduct that would otherwise remain hidden. In that sense, these conflicts are not signs of “drama for drama’s sake,” but warning signals that something is deeply wrong.

There are important lessons to learn from the CNY SPCA situation. Transparency, strong governance, and protections for whistleblowers are essential in animal rescue work. Supporters and donors should ask hard questions about staffing levels, veterinary care, finances, and oversight instead of assuming that “nonprofit” automatically means ethical. For rescues themselves, this moment underscores the need to listen to staff, address problems early, and welcome accountability. When handled honestly, painful situations like this can ultimately lead to reform, better standards, and safer outcomes for the animals everyone is supposed to be protecting.

For those unwilling to change or be truthful, the CNY SPCA situation stands as a warning of what happens when neglect is allowed to fester in the dark.

The entire eight-member board is resigning. About a dozen employees and volunteers protested in front of the shelter Tuesday.

01/13/2026

Strong Island Animal Rescue has helped take on a case that desperately requires the public’s help. An incredibly large number of pet rats need help with donations, fosters, and adopters. There are still many rats left needing help with no place to go. Please consider extending an offer of help at this time.
If you know of any rat rescue organizations please reach out to them. In NY or outside of NY. The situation is dire as time to remove them all is limited.
Please contact Strong Island Animal Rescue directly to donate, foster, adopt:

Foster application:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1UxM86CnZqQB15-3tlMDKPA75SuUxKXRCOV2U1WxlOaw/viewform?edit_requested=true

Adoption application:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/13X3f1TYydI4nq0tc_dIbCfo4OQk1APcSwdSIogeq2VE/viewform?edit_requested=true

To donate:
PayPal: [email protected]
Venmo: strongisland-animalrescueleague

01/10/2026

Happy Cat Sanctuary - The Curious Case of Rusty - Part 1

Is Rusty dead or alive?

The location that the acting “board” of Happy Cat Sanctuary claims to have sent Rusty to has been searched top to bottom to no avail.

Eyewitnesses on the ground at this location state they’ve never seen nor heard of a Rusty.

So where is he?

Fact: Rusty survived the fire.

Fact: Rusty made it to the warehouse in Holbrook.

Fact: Internal documentation states Rusty was sent to the location described.

Yet reality tells another story….

Rusty isn’t there.

Marilyn Gales— He was in your car.

So where is he?

As we are warned and threatened into silence, we won’t back down.

11/27/2025

Happy Thanksgiving to all.

Today, as we pause to appreciate what we have and honor the true rescuers who give everything expecting nothing in return, let’s also remember the ones who can’t speak for themselves.

Let us not forget Rusty, a feral cat who miraculously survived a devastating fire, only to be betrayed afterward by those who twisted a broken system for their own recognition.

On a day meant for gratitude, may his story remind us why compassion, real compassion, matters.

08/07/2025

HAPPY CAT SANCTUARY - CHRIS, A VOLUNTEER AT THE WAREHOUSE, SHARES A PERSONAL STATEMENT ABOUT CAT #627

https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1MUcQE2oYD/

The following is a personal firsthand account from a volunteer at the warehouse who began to help immediately following the fire at HCS. Chris' accounts are lived experiences. The following was very difficult for her to write and share. Please show respect. Please click the link above for the entire post with images and videos.

"Hi, my name is Chris. I was a volunteer at the warehouse that housed the survivors of the devastating fire at The Happy Cat Sanctuary on March 31, 2025, in Medford, Long Island. I dedicated nearly two months of my life to being there, almost every single day, because I truly cared about the well-being of those cats. My role focused heavily on their daily care and medical needs, and during that time, I witnessed more than just animal suffering; I witnessed systemic negligence and deeply concerning behavior by those claiming to be in charge.
I’m sharing my story in small anecdotes to bring attention to those failures, and to honor the lives and dignity of the animals who couldn’t speak for themselves. This is the story of one of those cats, HCS #627.
On or around May 15, Cat #627 had been seen by a vet and was diagnosed as being symptomatic for anemia, though I am not sure whether or not further diagnostics were done to find out the cause for the anemia. The cat was supposed to go into foster care at that time but that never happened. Instead, this ailing cat was sent back to the warehouse, a facility not equipped for fragile medical cases, where Cat #627’s condition only worsened.
On the morning of May 21, at exactly 8:43 AM, I arrived and was immediately told by other volunteers that Cat #627 appeared extremely lethargic and unwell. I rushed over to his/her enclosure and saw it for myself that this cat was in clear distress. I knew they needed emergency medical attention, fast.
But getting a cat to the vet at Happy Cat wasn’t simple. Volunteers like me had to go through an unnecessary and inefficient chain of command: first alert a senior volunteer, who would then contact Marilyn Gales, who would then contact the vet. This process created dangerous delays. Based on prior experience, I had already learned that the fastest way to help a cat was to avoid going through Lisa altogether.
I called Erica and told her I had an emergency. She FaceTimed me, and we began arguing over which hospital the cat should go to. Erica insisted on VEG in Commack (over 30 minutes away), while I begged for the cat to be taken to Atlantic Coast, just minutes from the warehouse. Time was critical. This cat, already fragile from anemia, couldn’t endure a long car ride. I had already seen what happened to another cat in a similar situation, and I was terrified history was repeating itself.
Eventually, after a tense back-and-forth, it was decided the cat would go to Atlantic Coast. Another volunteer, Michelle, brought the cat there. She returned an hour later and told us the hospital was keeping the cat for observation.
Throughout the day, I kept trying to get updates but was met with silence. Then I received a message from another volunteer, Tate, saying we needed to advocate for the cat to not be needlessly euthanized and that she was working on finding a medical foster. She said Marilyn Gales would keep her updated.
But by 8:08 PM, after hours of radio silence, I called Atlantic Coast myself. The receptionist told me they had tried to reach someone three times but no one answered. The cat was ready to be discharged, they said, but the vet needed to speak with someone because the cat required medication.
I immediately told this in a group text with Erica and Tate. Tate replied, confused, asking, “Who said the cat needed medication?” When I told her it was the receptionist at Atlantic Coast, she said Marilyn had told her the cat was fine, that nothing was wrong, no medication was needed, and that the cat would be picked up. I offered to go get the cat myself, but was told no. Donna was going to foster the cat.
That cat sat in the ER for over 12 hours. No one picked him/her up until 10:54 PM. To this day, I don’t know who actually picked him/her up. And I still don’t know if he/she got the medication he/she needed. And more alarming, I never heard anything about the outcome of that cat ever again.
That experience left me shaken and full of questions. After nearly two months of volunteering, I was already growing uneasy with what I had been witnessing day in and day out, but this incident made everything painfully clear. If this cat was “fine,” then why did he/she stay in an emergency hospital for more than 12 hours? Why did the hospital say he/she needed medication, only for Marilyn to claim otherwise? Why was no one answering the phone when the hospital called? Why did I, a volunteer, have to fight so hard just to make sure a sick animal received the bare minimum care?
I came to Happy Cat Sanctuary to help save lives. But what I witnessed instead was dysfunction, negligence, and a heartbreaking failure of responsibility by the very people who claimed to be these animals' protectors. Cat #627 deserved better. They all did.
I have attached some digital files in support of my story.
I will continue to share my experiences in the hopes that by doing so, I will give each and every one of the cats I encountered, a voice."

08/02/2025

We would like to share this fundraiser on behalf of Susan Burke who does amazing things for feral cats on Long Island working hard in TNR efforts. She is working closely on this case.

Please read the GFM description and please consider sharing and donating.

“Hi, my name is Cathy and this is Tiger. He is one of my ferals who lives on my porch. A few months ago, Tiger injured his eye and it had to be removed. Recently, Tiger started limping and now is finding it difficult to walk. Both doctors consulted said he needs an mri to determine the cause because multiple xrays and blood work are not showing anything. In the meantime, Tiger is getting lots of love, he has bird and squirrel videos and relaxing music to soothe him. To our surprise, he's letting us brush him and he's purring in delight. He's come a long way for a feral in a couple of weeks. Once Tiger is hopefully better, he will not be going back out. An MRI is urgently needed to determine the cause and to come up with a treatment plan. Any donation you could give will help. ❤️”

Hi, my name is Cathy and this is Tiger. He is one of my ferals who lives on my porch. A few months… Cathy Bellini needs your support for Help Tiger Get Better

07/27/2025

HAPPY CAT SANCTUARY - CATS 61-80 - HCS # 115-138

Here we share an additional 20 cats from the database. As some of you have asked us we just want to address the fact that we do not know for a fact why the numbers skip around. All we know is that when we first saw the database many numbers were already missing. As the days went by, we did see additional cats being removed from the database.

Volunteers who have come forward, have claimed that the HCS numbers are actually chronological meaning that for example HCS number 138 represents the 138th cat trapped. This has neither been denied nor confirmed. What we do know is that the HCS numbers go up to at least 720, NOT including the upstate cats. The upstate cats had HCN numbers; not HCS.

We share these images so that those who may be seeking cats they might have left at Chris’ can see if they may find a match. If you do feel you may have found a match, directing your questions at the current leadership of HCS would be the suggestion. They have expressed a desire to help. If someone can let us know who to direct questions to, it would be appreciated.

Please also keep in mind that many of the cats who were friendly did tragically pass away in the fire. The majority of the survivors are feral and semi-feral cats. Also please keep in mind that at minimum 150+ cats were sent to other rescues/shelters/sanctuaries/private adoption. These numbers are constantly evolving due to our limited information from leadership at HCS at this time.

Please join the Facebook group Matching Missing Happy Cat Sanctuary Cats.

www.justiceforhappycat.com