Hope A. Sanchez, 38, of the 400 block of Woodbine Lane, Fox River Grove, was charged April 28 with disorderly conduct – filing or causing the filing of a false police report, a Class 3 felony, according to Woodstock Police. Her bond was set at $10,000 and she is scheduled to appear in court at 9 a.m. May 12.
After a week-long investigation, Woodstock Police now say Sanchez received the small puppy as a gift from a Woodstock couple. Sanchez then took the puppy to MCC in Crystal Lake, where she teaches a human development class. She told her students she found the puppy sealed in a pillowcase along the roadside, a story police now say was fabricated.
“The initial report of the dog being found alongside Route 14 in Woodstock has been determined to be unfounded resulting in the ... criminal charge,” Chief Robert Lowen said.
MCC student Natalie Kawell, of Woodstock, volunteered to take the pup to Hoof Woof & Meow Animal Rescue, 129 E. Higgins Road, Gilberts. Kawell did not know the story was allegedly false.
The police investigation revealed a Woodstock couple owns the dog who delivered 10 puppies in the family's apartment. Per the couple's consent, police visited the apartment April 27 and saw the nine remaining puppies, which were similar in appearance and age to the puppy found last week, and determined Woodstock was from the same litter.
After interviewing the couple, police detectives said they learned the couple gave the three-week-old pup to Dr. Sanchez, a therapist, who provides service to one of their family members.
In the meantime, the Woodstock couple allowed McHenry County Animal Control to take custody of the remaining nine puppies, which were then delivered to the care of Hoof Woof & Meow Animal Rescue, where little Woodstock is receiving care in a foster home. The mother of the litter, who purportedly serves as a therapeutic service dog for one of the household members, was not removed from the home.
“The mother of the puppies was subsequently left at the apartment, as no immediate danger was evident,” Lowen said.
The owners of the mother dog and puppies should've been cited for giving away a three-week old puppy. That's way too young!!
Kawell, the student who took the puppy to Hoof Woof & Animal Rescue, said she was very "taken aback" by the allegation her instructor made up the tale of finding Woodstock along the road. Kawell spoke to Sanchez April 28, before the charges were publicly announced, and the instructor "acknowledged what she had done was wrong," Kawell said.
"I just don't know why she said that," Kawell said.
MCC Interim Vice President Christina Haggerty said college administrators are aware of developments in the case and are addressing the matter.
"Upon learning of this development, we have immediately initiated college procedures related to this personnel issue," Haggerty said. "Please be assured that we are addressing this issue in the most appropriate and timely manner, and we are taking every measure to ensure that there will be no impact on our students, or in the classroom."
The response from the public has been tremendous since the original, now known-false story broke last week that little Woodstock was placed into a pillowcase, sealed with duct tape and abandoned along Route 14.
To date, Hoof Woof & Meow Animal Rescue has received 40 applications from people wanting to adopt the puppy, according to Kellie Reed, intake and foster coordinator and cofounder of the agency. With arrival of the rest of the litter, which includes six males and four females, Reed is hopeful she will find good homes for the dogs.
Woodstock is a Beagle / Boston Terrier mix. The puppies will be available for adoption at the end of May.
In addition to Woodstock's litter, the agency has 22 other puppies that will soon be available for adoption. Six puppies are a mix of beagle, pug and Catahoula Leopard dog. Three are Australian Shepherd mix and six are Labrador Retriever mix. Another two orphaned puppies, their breed unknown, will arrive from Memphis, Tenn., this weekend, Reed said.
Anyone interested in adopting a puppy should visit the agency's website www.hoofwoofmeow.org.
The agency is also in need of the following donations: puppy formula, puppy pads, Taste of the Wild puppy kibble, and toys. Donations can be dropped off at Four Legs Pets, 133 E. Higgins Road, Gilberts. Food can be purchased there, as well.
(Woodstock Independent - April 29, 2016)
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