A Marlborough man is facing nearly 200 animal cruelty charges following the discovery of 96 dead animals—including chickens, geese, pigs, ducks, and rabbits—at a property he had been renting in Sturbridge, according to a joint press release issued by Sturbridge Police and MSPCA Law Enforcement on Wednesday.
The suspect, Andrew Sebastiano, was arraigned in Dudley District Court on March 26, 2025. He faces 96 charges of animal cruelty, subsequent offense, and 96 charges of animal cruelty by custodian, subsequent offense. He was ordered held without bail pending a dangerousness hearing scheduled for April 1.
“This is an extremely disturbing case of animal cruelty, none like I have seen in my career,” said Sturbridge Police Chief Earl Dessert in the press release. “The sheer number of animals that suffered and perished is truly heartbreaking. We are grateful for our strong partnership with MSPCA Law Enforcement, whose expertise was invaluable in this investigation. I also commend my officers who worked tirelessly on this investigation from the onset to make sure the individual involved was arrested and brought to justice.”
MSPCA Law Enforcement Director Chris Schindler added that Sebastiano had vacated the property in February, weeks before the animals were discovered on March 19.
“We’re grateful to Sturbridge Police for collaborating with us on this and helping find the suspect,” Schindler said. “This was a devastating scene, and we wish that we had been able to intercede in the weeks before these animals perished, but, unfortunately, the call came too late.”
One adult dog was seized when Sebastiano was arrested on March 25. The dog is now in the care of MSPCA-Angell, which will provide an update on its condition when available.
According to Schindler, this is not Sebastiano’s first contact with MSPCA Law Enforcement. He was arrested and pleaded guilty to animal cruelty charges in 2021, for which he was sentenced to probation.
“Our current legal framework for addressing animal cruelty in Massachusetts is long overdue for additional tools, beyond the current statutes,” Schindler stated. “Not all offenses are or should be treated equally, but that’s often what happens in our current system.”
The MSPCA-Angell supports legislation currently under consideration on Beacon Hill that would prohibit individuals convicted of animal cruelty from owning animals for a minimum of five years—with the possibility of a longer ban at the court’s discretion.
