DeWitt, N.Y. — A new board of directors has taken over the 135-year-old Central New York SPCA after a protest by staff over claims of animal neglect.
The nonprofit’s former board members resigned after staff called for a change in leadership, saying the board had allowed for animals to be neglected.
The new, five-member board is taking over operations immediately, according to a news release Thursday.
“Our responsibility is significant, and we take it seriously,” the board said in a joint statement. “By working collaboratively with staff, volunteers and community partners, we are committed to ensuring the CNY SPCA continues to serve Central New York for generations to come.”
The board members are:
- Marcie Marshall, president
- Nicole Heath, secretary
- Edward Zaremba, treasurer
- Diane Fitzpatrick
- Jane Senke
About a dozen employees and volunteers walked out last Tuesday and protested outside the shelter at 5878 E. Molloy Road in DeWitt.
On Wednesday, the entire board resigned.
The former board said it was seeking a “full leadership reset” by the end of February, according to a message sent to shelter employees that was obtained by syracuse.com | The Post-Standard. Nonprofit consultants have been hired to guide the transition, according to the message.
The nonprofit provides shelter and medical attention to stray, abused and unwanted animals, and assists police with animal cruelty investigations. It also earns about $200,000 a year providing dog control services, including to the towns of Clay and Manlius, according to tax records.
The SPCA has faced challenges in the past.
Four employees, including the then-executive director, were charged in 2016 with stealing more than $1 million from the nonprofit. All later pleaded guilty.
The state Attorney General’s Office also investigated the shelter in recent years. That investigation was closed because there were no allegations of financial abuse or mismanagement, the office said.