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Woman charged with theft from dog rescue in Island Lake

A 56-year-old Wonder Lake woman has been charged with theft after police say she swiped about $11,000 from a dog rescue group over more than three years.

Patricia L. Caywood, of the 7600 block of North Drive, is free on bond after she was arrested Sunday by McCullom Lake Police, McHenry County Sheriff’s Lt. James Popovitis said Tuesday.

Popovitis said members of the Labrador Education and Rescue Network contacted sheriff’s police claiming money was missing from their financial records while Caywood served as treasurer of the organization.

According to the group’s website, the Labrador Education and Rescue Network is a not-for-profit organization that places abandoned and unwanted Labrador retrievers in new homes in northern Illinois and southern Wisconsin. It has mailing addresses in Island Lake and Wisconsin.

Officials from the Labrador Education and Rescue Network could not be reached for comment.

Through the investigation, police discovered Caywood stole money from the organization from March 2007 until March 2010, and used the money to help pay her personal credit cards, Popovitis said.

“It was about $11,000 over the course of three years,” he said.

Messages left for Caywood at her Wonder Lake home went unanswered Tuesday.

Sheriff officials obtained a warrant on June 17, and Caywood was stopped by police in McCullom Lake on Sunday, Popovitis said.

She posted 10 percent of her $40,000 bond while at the McCullom Lake Police department, officials said. She has been released from jail, and is due back in court July 8.