NORTHAMPTON, MA (WGGB/WSHM) – A Hadley man is facing charges after hundreds of animals were seized earlier this year.

Melissa Sippel, spokesperson for the Northwestern District Attorney’s Office, said Patrick Veistroffer has been arraigned on 21 felony counts of animal cruelty and seven misdemeanor counts of unlawful possession of wildlife.

In January, MSPCA-Angell officials seized 317 animals of various species from Cloa’s Ark Animal Sanctuary, owned by Veistroffer, on Lawrence Plain Road in Hadley. After their removal, they were brought to facilities to undergo exams to determine any medical needs and assess their body condition for nutritional needs. Those animals included:

At his arraignment, prosecutors requested that Veistroffer be prohibited from possessing, owning, or working with animals while the case is pending. However, they did not object to three cats remaining on the property, as they were not seized in January. They also asked for the humane transfer of the seized wildlife from MSPCA-Angell to the Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife.

Veistroffer reportedly objected to those requested conditions and asked for the return of 116 specific animals, while an attorney for MSPCA-Angell sought an order requiring Veistroffer to post security for the costs of reasonable care for approximately 310 animals seized and currently in their custody.

A hearing for all those motions will be heard Thursday, April 23. In the interim, prosecutors asked that Veistroffer be prohibited from acquiring any additional animals, a motion to which his attorney objected. The judge ruled that he not acquire any additional animals until April 23.