Wealthy Montco SPCA hit with a state audit as the nonprofit searches for a new leader

Pennsylvania’s attorney general has launched an audit of the Montgomery County Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, deepening scrutiny into the wealthy shelter amid a leadership shake-up and ongoing reforms.

A spokesperson for Attorney General Michelle A. Henry declined to confirm the existence of an investigation. But staff members said they learned of the audit earlier this month and April Lownes-Hostler, president of the SPCA board of directors, confirmed that the shelter is cooperating with the state prosecutor’s office.

“We are in communication with the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General and intend to fully cooperate with its request for information,” Lownes-Hostler said. “While we can’t comment further, it is longstanding MCSPCA policy to voluntarily collaborate and share information with all of our regulators, and we continue to do so through this period of transition.”

The audit is the most significant government action to follow an Inquirer investigation that unearthed signs of mismanagement, hazardous conditions, and animal mistreatment at the wealthiest animal shelter in the state. Since that report was published in September, the SPCA board has sought a series of changes amid backlash from animal welfare advocates and shelters in the region.

» READ MORE: 7 things to know about our investigation into the wealthy, yet rundown, Montco SPCA

Longtime executive director Carmen Ronio, 79, resigned from his post in early October, ending a 52-year run at the shelter. The board at the time announced a “Management Oversight Committee” to provide more supervision for shelter’s managers — several of whom were the subject of staff complaints about leadership practices and alleged animal mistreatment.

On Oct. 14, Lownes-Hostler announced that Tracie Graham would assume the role of interim executive director while the board began a national search for a permanent replacement for Ronio.

Graham, 50, had served as the shelter manager at the nonprofit’s Perkiomenville branch since 2012. Before that, she worked with other nonprofit and open-door animal shelters, accruing numerous animal welfare certifications, according to an announcement letter sent to staff.

“She knows our staff and our operations well, and she has always been passionate about our mission,” the board president wrote in the letter, which also invited staff to offer ideas for how to improve the shelter during the transition.

» READ MORE: Montco SPCA executive director retires after scrutiny of the wealthy shelter’s operation

Graham also comes from a family of animal welfare advocates — one of whom has raised questions about oversight of the shelter. Terry Gilligan, Graham’s daughter, is a Pennsylvania dog warden in Montgomery County.

Dog wardens are state employees of the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture’s Bureau of Dog Law Enforcement, the agency that issues kennel licenses, conducts inspections, and provides one of the few oversight mechanisms for animal rescues in the commonwealth. Dog wardens have received several complaints about conditions and practices at the Montco SPCA this year — a few of which were lodged with Gilligan, according to people who spoke with her.

Lownes-Hostler said she was not concerned that the bureau would go easy on the SPCA because of the mother-daughter relationship.

“We trust that the Bureau and the Department of Agriculture will take appropriate steps to ensure the process remains unbiased, and we understand they already have measures in place to address any actual or perceived conflict of interest,” she said in an email.

A spokesperson for the Department of Agriculture said Gilligan disclosed the familial relationship when hired two years ago. In her time on the job, she has “referred complaints and inquiries surrounding [Montco SPCA] shelters to her supervisor for other dog wardens to handle.” According to public inspection records, Gilligan has not conducted an official inspection at any of the three SPCA shelters in Montco.

Within the Attorney General’s office is a division that investigates nonprofits and other charitable organizations to ensure funds are being used lawfully. A spokesperson said the office may examine issues ranging from fraud to misappropriation to regulatory compliance issues.

While details about the attorney general’s audit remains thin, the Montco SPCA reported over $67 million in assets at the end of 2023 — a vast sum compared with the shoestring coffers at most animal rescues. Even so, The Inquirer found that shelter leaders spend only about $3 million a year on operations at its three branches in Conshohocken, Abington, and Perkiomenville.

Despite its wealth, volunteers and staff said conditions at the kennels had injured dogs. Foster and adoption programming was virtually nonexistent compared with other regional shelters. And the euthanasia rate at Montco was the highest in the region, an Inquirer analysis found.

» READ MORE: Euthanasia, understaffing, and broken kennels are rampant at Montco’s ultra-wealthy SPCA

Lownes-Hostler also informed staff that the shelter has accepted an offer from the Pennsylvania SPCA to provide on-site management assistance over the next month.

“PSPCA’s staff has decades of experience, and they will carry out an objective assessment to provide the Board with an unbiased evaluation of our practices, policies, and procedures,” she said in the letter.

“We truly appreciate your work during this difficult time,” the letter went on. “We’re confident we’re going to emerge stronger and more committed to our mission than ever before.”