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Tom Adessa, who investigated animal abuse and cruelty cases for the Finger Lakes SPCA of Central New York from 2000 to 2003 and 2020 to 2024, told Ë®¹ûÅÉAV he resigned in September due to concerns about how the Auburn nonprofit has been run by Nick Lapresi, its executive director since December 2022.

Adessa said Lapresi ordered him to stop pursuing some cruelty investigations and has prioritized making money over animal welfare, resulting in fewer dogs and cats being accepted at the SPCA. The officer has shared his concerns with its board of directors and on Facebook, he continued, due to the thousands of dollars donated to the shelter every year.

"Because the public is a mainstay of that support, the public has a right to know this information," Adessa said.

Lapresi did not respond to multiple requests for comment by Ë®¹ûÅÉAV. The SPCA board said in an email to Ë®¹ûÅÉAV that Adessa's concerns "have been solved and addressed internally."

'That's why we're a nonprofit'

Adessa said he had concerns about how Lapresi operated the SPCA before August, but an incident that month was what led to his resignation.

The Cayuga County Sheriff's Office was carrying out an eviction at a residence on Orchard Street in Auburn, where three dogs were found "horribly neglected, near death," Adessa said.

Carl Collier III, the city's longtime dog control officer and president of the Finger Lakes Dog Protection Agency, called Adessa about the residence. Noting that the coats of the dogs were so heavily matted that they could not urinate or defecate, he said he intended to investigate the situation as a possible violation of humane law.

However, he continued, Lapresi told him the SPCA would not look into the situation further, nor shelter the dogs. The director did not want to cover the high costs of their veterinary care, Adessa said. 

But he believes the SPCA should have accepted the dogs — and would have before Lapresi. Back then, Adessa said, it covered veterinary care because its of alleviating animal suffering came first.

"That's why we're a nonprofit," Adessa said.

"Money is a portion of what we do, but it's not our motivator. The motivator is taking care of the animals first, holding people accountable second, then money should be a distant third." 

Lapresi told Adessa the SPCA should stay out of the investigation because the sheriff's office started it, the officer said, but he believes that was an excuse to avoid sheltering the dogs and paying for their care. The sheriff's office has brought cruelty investigations to the SPCA on many occasions, he continued, and he took them over.

Collier told Ë®¹ûÅÉAV the dogs had the most matted coats he had seen in four decades, calling it "one of the worst cases of abuse I have ever seen." He secured veterinary care and nursed them back to health, feeding them through the sides of their mouths. While the dogs were adopted, Collier said he was "disappointed" by Lapresi not allowing an investigation.

'Contrary to the mission'

Adessa said Lapresi ordered him to drop another cruelty investigation the year prior.

In February 2023, the SPCA received photos and credible statements pointing to an abusive environment for dogs at Leach Sheep & Goat Station, a puppy dealer in the northern Cayuga County hamlet of Martville. But in the middle of Adessa conducting his investigation, he continued, Lapresi told him to "stand down." 

While he didn't receive an explanation at the time, Adessa said Lapresi told him a few months later that the owner of the dealer, James Leach, had agreed to no longer sell dogs in New York. But the officer believes neither he nor the director have the authority under state law to end an investigation, which also goes against the nonprofit's mission of preventing cruelty.

"If we pick and choose investigations or halt investigations, bottom line, it's contrary to the mission of any humane society," Adessa said.

Still, he continued, he followed Lapresi's orders despite his disagreement with them.

"There's a chain of command, you're employed, he's my direct supervisor. We don't always agree," he said. "In hindsight, now that I reflect upon it, I wish I had made a different decision."

Leach Sheep & Goat Station was included in the Humane Society of the United States' annual "Horrible Hundred" report, a list of the country's most problematic puppy mills and dealers, in ²¹²Ô»åÌý. Its inclusion was based on inspections by the state Department of Agriculture & Markets that found insufficient clean water, overgrown nails, underage puppy sales and other violations. 

Cayuga County District Attorney Brittany Grome Antonacci told Ë®¹ûÅÉAV that New York State Police investigated animal cruelty at Leach in February 2023, but she could not comment further.

'Better than doing it online'

Since Lapresi became director, Adessa said, the SPCA has also been sheltering fewer animals.

He was often told by Lapresi that the 41 York St. facility would not accept dogs or cats Adessa wanted to bring there, he continued, nor animals that people called him about surrendering. 

Instead, the officer said, he was told to refer those people to an online service called , making it their responsibility to rehome animals.

The result was far fewer dogs and cats at the shelter when Adessa resigned, he said, than there were before Lapresi became its leader. The number has ranged from 20 to 30 recent weeks, according to the SPCA's website, . But it used to range from 40 to 50, said Carol Russell, who served as executive director from 2000 to 2022. 

Russell told Ë®¹ûÅÉAV that she also would not have been in favor of referring people to Adopt a Pet.

"I think that bringing an animal into the shelter and having it for people to meet and see and interact with them is better than doing it online," she said. 

The nonprofit has reported how many animals it adopted each year in its , but the numbers do not appear to be accurate. It reported adopting "over 200" in 2017 and 2018, exactly 206 in 2019 and 2020, and exactly 125 in 2021, 2022 and 2023. Lapresi told Ë®¹ûÅÉAV in April that twice as many animals were adopted in 2023 as the year prior.

'Our focus was on the animals'

When it came to money, Russell said, she felt fundraising was important but "our focus was on the animals."

But fundraising has been as high a priority as ever for the SPCA recently as it pursues a renovation to comply with the state Companion Animal Care Standards Act — or face closure.

The state's Companion Animal Capital Fund has granted $482,491.50 for the renovation, which Lapresi previously told Ë®¹ûÅÉAV will cost $700,000. The facility's 70-year-old kennels will be replaced with larger and quieter ones, and new insulation, siding and HVAC units will be installed for better temperature control for the animals.

Much of the rest of the $700,000 will come from a capital campaign to match a $80,000 grant from the Fred L. Emerson Foundation. It raised $95,750, the SPCA  in December.

While the nonprofit's 2024 tax return is not yet available, its 2023 return the strength of its fundraising efforts since Lapresi became director. It received a total of $568,757 in contributions that year, which is about double the average of $284,000 it received in each of the 10 years prior. That $568,757 was not reported as including the state grant.

'Continued devotion to the mission'

While Adessa's concerns about dropped investigations and misplaced priorities have "been solved and addressed internally," the SPCA board said in an email to Ë®¹ûÅÉAV, it did not respond to a follow-up question asking how. The board also said a new humane law enforcement officer has been hired and the SPCA is working with the state to ensure the proper documentation and training is complete. 

Asked about Adopt a Pet, the board said it is "a multi-step program the animal welfare field is pursuing to keep less animals out of shelters and rehomed through their owners, so the animal is not displaced until adoption. ... The exception for animals or people in dire situations is always addressed urgently."

The shelter renovation, meanwhile, is set to begin this summer, the board said. It is waiting for the state to sign the contract for construction.

The board also praised Lapresi's work as director.

"Nick Lapresi has done incredible things for this shelter, and continues to pour his heart and soul into it. His leadership skills have been recognized on a national level, specifically with the University of the Pacific Animal Welfare Management certification program, and the board is very pleased with Nick’s continued devotion to the mission," the board said.

"Never before have we adopted out as many animals or have had as many programs to help the community."