Attorney General Dave Sunday announced today a settlement with the Montgomery County Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) regarding the organization’s mismanagement, animal care practices, and misuse of charitable funds.
The SPCA has been ordered to pay $21,040 in penalties and costs and overhaul its “board of directors and executive staff, as well as more training for staff, and commitments to improving and expanding services,” Sunday’s press release says.
It must also “bring its facilities into compliance or build new ones; and review and revise its bylaws and policies.”
The organization came under scrutiny in 2024 following The Philadelphia Inquirer’s multi-part expose. According to the insiders interviewed, the conditions at the facilities in Abington Township, Conshohocken, Perkiomenville led to animals being injured. There were also concerns with the speed at which animals are euthanized.
A subsequent investigation by the Office of Attorney General’s Charitable Trusts and Organizations Section found that “from at least 2021 through October 2024, the organization violated multiple Pennsylvania laws governing nonprofits and trade practices including potentially unnecessary or premature euthanasia of animals; unsafe and improperly maintained facilities; and maintaining approximately $67 million in assets and endowments, while not allocating a sufficient amount of donated funds for facility maintenance, staff training and education, and animal care,” Sunday’s press release says.
“Pennsylvanians who donate to charities should be able to trust that their money is being used to support an organization’s mission,” Sunday said. “This settlement holds the Montgomery County SPCA accountable, puts important safeguards in place, and serves as a reminder to other charitable organizations that they will be expected to fulfill their mission and comply with the law.”
The SPCA told the Office of Attorney General “that the board and CEO have already been replaced; that bylaws and policies have been revised; and improvements to facilities are ongoing, with plans to build at least one new shelter.”
Carmen Ronio, the organization’s longtime executive director, stepped down in early October 2024. Board president April Lownes-Hostler resigned in November 2024.
The facility at 1006 Edge Hill Road in Abington has been closed since November 2024 due to a black mold outbreak. It is still listed as “Temporarily Closed” in Google.
In August 2025, CEO Abigal Smith told Glenside Local that the Abington shelter would remain closed as officials finish strategic planning to match programming and services “with specific needs in communities across Montgomery County.”
“We had to mitigate the mold issues, and before we open back up, we have to reimagine what we’re doing with that space,” she said, noting that the facility’s animals were relocated to either the Conshohocken or Perkiomenville locations.
For all the latest news, follow us on Facebook or sign up for Glenside Local’s “Daily Buzz” newsletter here.
Photo: Google