Treasurer of Puyallup dog club charged with stealing $75,000

The treasurer of a Puyallup nonprofit that hosts dog shows is accused of stealing $75,000 from the club before resigning.

Pierce County prosecutors have charged the 60-year-old woman with first-degree theft. She is set to be arraigned April 10.

The woman served as treasurer of the Puyallup Valley Dog Fanciers, which describes itself as one of the state’s oldest and largest clubs that hold all-breed dog shows.

According to court documents:

For years, the board of directors merely asked the treasurer to give them monthly financial reports verbally at meetings, but did not check any documentation.

In August 2015, they asked to see monthly bank account statements.

The woman evaded the requests for a while, but finally handed them over in September 2015 and promptly resigned from her elected post.

It didn’t take long for board members to notice discrepancies in what the treasurer had told them about the club’s finances and what the monthly statements showed.

Investigators said the woman stole $75,201 between January 2012 and August 2015, often writing herself checks or using the club ATM card at local casinos.

The News Tribune generally does not name suspects in criminal cases until their arraignment.

This story was originally published March 28, 2017 at 12:27 PM with the headline "Treasurer of Puyallup dog club charged with stealing $75,000."