The Montco SPCA’s executive director is retiring following an audit of the wealthy animal shelter’s operations

The longtime executive director of the Montgomery County Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals retired Tuesday, two weeks after an Inquirer investigation found the cash-strapped animal shelter was dangerously run-down and plagued by mismanagement.

SPCA board president April Lownes-Hostler told staff that Carmen Ronio, 79, was resigning effective immediately. In a statement, Lownes-Hostler said the board also formed a new “management committee” that will provide “more day-to-day support and oversight of the leadership team” at the shelter.

“We know this has been a difficult time for MCSPCA employees and other key stakeholders, but we are confident that we will emerge stronger and more committed to our mission than ever before,” the statement said.

The board has not yet named a replacement for Ronio. Lownes-Hostler referred staff members to the shelter’s operations manager, Ed Davies, with questions about their daily duties.

Ronio’s departure marks the nonprofit’s first major shakeup since the publication of an Inquirer report on Sept. 19 that documented widespread mismanagement, disturbing euthanasia practices and deplorable conditions at the suburban SPCA — the state’s wealthiest animal shelter.

While half of Pennsylvania’s animal shelters have assets of $4.5 million or less, the Montco SPCA reported over $67 million at the end of 2023 and still only spent about $3 million per year on operations . Despite the wealth, the animal savings rate at Montco’s Conshohocken headquarters is the lowest among 11 Philadelphia-area animal shelters, the Inquirer found.

” READ MORE: Euthanasia, staff shortages and broken kennels are commonplace at Montco’s ultra-rich SPCA

Following the Inquirer report, volunteers and animal rights activists launched a campaign to reform the shelter. More than 2,800 people signed an online petition seeking to oust top managers, and dozens protested outside the shelter’s main branch last week, holding signs with messages such as “Ronio must go” and “How many animals must die?”

Like many animal shelters, the SPCA relies on contributions from donors and wealthy benefactors who donate a portion of their assets to the shelter’s mission of saving endangered animals. Several donors were outraged by recent revelations about conditions at the shelter and threatened not to provide financial support to the shelter until changes were made. A benefactor emailed shelter leaders and The Inquirer last week to announce that she had removed the Montco SPCA as a beneficiary in her will.

Ronio did not immediately respond to requests for comment. He started working at the century-old suburban shelter 52 years ago and rose through the ranks. He was named executive director around 2000 and long held a top position on the shelter’s board, overseeing operations at the three SPCA branches in Conshohocken, Abington and Perkiomenville. His $250,000 salary has accounted for nearly 10% of the shelter’s operating costs in recent years.

But staff, volunteers and animal advocates in the area told The Inquirer that under Ronio’s leadership, the SPCA was stuck in the past.

” READ MORE: 7 things you should know about our investigation into the wealthy but run-down Montco SPCA

Unlike most modern animal rescues, the Montco SPCA does not have foster programs, host adoption events, or partner with other animal rescues to house dogs and cats that are difficult to place. Current and former employees said managers were allegedly “arbitrary” about euthanizing animals for any reason and occasionally mistreated animals at the shelter. (The shelter’s only full-time veterinarian reached for comment resigned days before The Inquirer published his story.)

Meanwhile, poor conditions existed at the Conshohocken animal shelter for years while tens of millions of dollars sat in investment accounts.

The investigator obtained photos and videos of animals whose faces had been slashed on frayed wires in the kennels. Dogs often escaped through constantly broken kennel gates, employees said. This summer, whistleblowers documented evidence of black mold in a cat isolation room and filed a complaint with the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration, along with photos of other alleged dangerous conditions.

Ronio declined to speak to a reporter for the Inquirer investigation and has not spoken publicly about the findings since. Lownes-Hostlerboard said the board was taking the complaints “very seriously” and said improvements to the accommodation were underway. She said the board hired a firm to investigate the shelter’s practices, conduct interviews with staff and make recommendations.

This is a developing story and will be updated.