After Horrifying Revelations, Montco SPCA Lifesaving Rate Climbs To 95 Percent

CONSHOHOCKEN, PA — The Pennsylvania Attorney General's Office reached a settlement with the Montgomery County SPCA this week that formalized the end of an error of horror and suffering at one of the region's largest animal shelters.

Now, new leadership is hopeful they're turning the page on a new future.

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The SPCA's lifesaving rate, the percentage of animals that come through its doors that are not euthanized, has risen to 95 percent since the beginning of 2025.

Related: Montco SPCA Unnecessarily Euthanized Animals, Had Poor Kennel Conditions: Authorities

It comes after a period of years, stretching from at least 2021 to 2024, where systemic failures normalized "needless euthanasia" and deplorable living conditions for animals. This was despite massive investments that had been made in the SPCA's trio of shelters in Conshohocken, Perkiomenville, and Abington.

“The Montgomery County SPCA has made extraordinary progress over the last 21 months," a spokesperson for the SPCA told Patch this week. "Transforming nearly every aspect of our organization."

The transformation started at the top. As part of the fallout from the investigation and the settlement with the state, the SPCA replaced their entire executive leadership and Board of Directors. There is a new president. They say they've grown their staff and base of volunteers.

They've also invested around $26 million in facility upgrades, and a brand new shelter is in the works.

Questions linger about exactly how conditions got so bad, in all but plain sight, under the old regime. But the SPCA implies there have been systemic changes.

"We have implemented new policies, strengthened oversight and governance, and expanded programs that support both animals and the broader community, including adoption, foster, and surrender prevention services," the spokesperson added.

The 95 percent lifesaving rate is a start. The Pennsylvania PSPCA and the Philadelphia Animal Welfare Society (PAWS) lead the way with save rates of around 97 percent.

90 percent is considered the minimum threshold for a "no kill" shelter. The attorney general's investigation did not indicate just how low the rate was during the period of 2021 to 2024, though previous reports indicated it may have fallen as low as 80 percent.