Inspector General: Montgomery Animal Shelter Couldn’t Show All Staff Completed Required Training

Montgomery County’s Office of Animal Services could not show that all required training had been completed by the staff who needed it, according to a review by the county’s Office of the Inspector General dated Nov. 5. Some divisions of the county’s animal shelter had no written training requirements, and training records were not consistently kept, the report (OIG Publication #27-6) found.

The review also looked at donations to the Montgomery County Animal Services and Adoption Center, which received $35,498 in monetary donations in fiscal 2025 and $101,981 in fiscal 2026, according to the report’s executive summary. Staff generally followed procedures for receiving cash donations, the inspector general found, but there is no formal process for staff to request that donated money be used for a particular need, and the shelter does not track in-kind donations of items. The county’s chief administrative officer concurred with the report’s recommendation. The inspector general’s announcement follows in full.

---

OIG Completes Review of Office of Animal Services

Rockville, Maryland – Montgomery County Maryland Inspector General Megan Davey Limarzi announced today the release of a report, Review of the Office of Animal Services, OIG Publication #27‑6, detailing the results of a review of the Office of Animal Services (OAS) and the Montgomery County Animal Services and Adoption Center (ASAC). The review was undertaken in furtherance of the Office of Inspector General’s mission to effectuate positive change in County government and was announced in the office’s FY26-29 Work Plan.

ASAC is the County’s only open-admissions municipal animal shelter and provides care, veterinary services, adoption assistance, and shelter for homeless, abused, neglected, and surrendered animals. Recognizing that other regulatory entities routinely evaluate ASAC’s veterinary operations and handling of controlled substances, the OIG focused its review on the acceptance and tracking of donations and compliance with staff and volunteer training requirements.

The review found that OAS staff generally follow established procedures for receiving monetary donations and that volunteer training records were appropriately maintained. However, the OIG found that OAS could not provide evidence that all required training had been completed for all applicable personnel. Specifically, some divisions lacked written training requirements, did not consistently maintain training records, or had incomplete records documenting employee training completion. The review also noted that certain employee positions relied on informal training practices that were not documented in written policies or supported by retained records.

The OIG recommended that OAS implement formal written policies requiring that all training requirements be documented and that records of completed training be retained. The County’s Chief Administrative Officer concurred with the recommendation.

Read the full report

---