OAKLAND — A Rome woman was arrested Wednesday and charged with embezzling more than $45,000 from Lakeside Veterinary Clinic over a period of four years, according to police.

Amanda Salisbury, 31, allegedly stole the money from her Libby Hill Road employer while she was working there from 2006 to 2009, police Capt. Rick Stubbert said Thursday.

“This arrest is the result of a two-year investigation which included help from the New England State Police Information Network, who provided the Oakland Police Department with the financial analysis report,” Stubbert said.

Police two years ago started interviewing people and scouring records after being contacted by the veterinary clinic, he said.

“They suspected that she (Salisbury) was stealing money, so they called us,” he said.

Police searched Salisbury’s home Sept. 25, 2009, and seized financial documents, he said.

The Information Network used financial documents police obtained through search warrants and subpoenas to complete a financial analysis, Stubbert said. Police then went to the district attorney with the information, he said. She was indicted by a grand jury July 27.

Salisbury did not say why she stole the money, according to Stubbert.

She was charged Wednesday with Class B felony theft by unauthorized taking and was released on $1,000 bail, he said. She is scheduled to be arraigned Nov. 15 in Kennebec County Superior Court in Augusta.

A message left on Salisbury’s phone late Thursday afternoon was not returned.

Veterinarian and clinic owner Eleanor Sabean said Thursday that Salisbury was a veterinary technician at the business, which opened in 2004, the year Salisbury was hired. She said the clinic began noticing significant financial discrepancies in office records.

Sabean said losing such a significant amount of money hurt the business but not the quality of service.

“It’s a big blow to a small business, especially in this economy,” she said.

Sabean praised police and others who worked on the case.

“It’s been a long road … and I’m very grateful to the Oakland Police Department because it was a huge, involved, thorough investigation they did,” she said.

She said the situation, while long and stressful, has not reduced her enthusiasm for the profession.

Meanwhile, Stubbert said he is glad this phase of the investigation is over.

“It was a long investigation to get to the point we’re at now,” he said.

Sgt. Jerry Haynes assisted Stubbert in the case, he said.

Amy Calder — 861-9247

acalder@centralmaine.com