The Montgomery County Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) was featured in follow-up article by the Philadelphia Inquirer today titled “7 things to know about our investigation into the wealthy, yet rundown, Montco SPCA“.
The article was preceded by a September 19 article titled “Euthanasia, understaffing, and broken kennels are rampant at Montco’s ultra-wealthy SPCA“, which Glenside Local summarized here. According to the insiders interviewed, the conditions at the facilities, one of which is in Abington Township (shown above), have led to animals being injured. There are also concerns with the speed at which animals are euthanized.
The Inquirer’s follow-up provides a deeper dive into the following:
Financial assets: Montco SPCA had over $67 million at the end of 2023, but that money hasn’t been utilized to improve conditions at its facilities. According to the article, Montco SPCA spends only about $3 million a year on operations, while Pennsylvania SPCA (Philadelphia) spent more than $10 million last year.
Kennels: The Inquirer writes that Montco’s kennels “are chronically broken, and conditions are often dire due to understaffing. Photos taken by staff and volunteers show dogs that gashed their eyes and coats on protruding metal wires” and “appeared to have burns on their paws” from standing in urine.
Euthanasia: The Conshohocken facility has the highest rate of euthanasia in the region, and the Montco SPCA’s save-rate was the lowest among shelters in the Philadelphia area, according to the article.
Leadership: Montco SPCA’s executive director, Carmen Ronio, is 79-years-old and has been with the animal-focused charity since 1972, serving his current role since 2000. He declined to be interviewed, the Inquirer said, and makes more than $250,000 a year.
Oversight: SPCAs operate independently, though a Department of Agriculture spokesperson told the Inquirer that the agency is investigating recent complaints from shelter volunteers.
A Change.org petition titled “Save the Animals, Change the Management!” is now circulating in response to the Inquirer’s articles. 1,903 have signed at the time of this writing.
According to Morethanthecurve.com, a protest has been announced for Tuesday, September 24 from noon to 1:00pm at the SPCA’s Conshohocken facility (shown above). The protest is organized by the group behind the website mspcaANIMALS.org, which also created the petition.
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Photos: Google