Taffy was born on April 8, 2000 in Thetford Mines, Quebec Canada.   Twelve weeks later she was flown to Orange County, California to meet her new partner, Orange County Sheriff’s Department Reserve Doug Williams.  Taffy would soon join the highly regarded Orange County Sheriff’s Department Search and Rescue Unit, which is made up entirely of Reserve Deputies.   After a distinguished ten year career, Taffy was the first bloodhound to retire from the Orange County Sheriff’s Department Search and Rescue Unit on June 30, 2010.

During Taffy’s 10 year career with the Orange County Sheriff’s Department Search and Rescue Unit, she had 13 confirmed walk-up finds, plus numerous other trails where she gave valuable information that led to the suspects and their arrest.    Taffy worked over 125 documented cases with the Orange County Sheriff’s Department Search and Rescue Unit.   She searched for over 50 lost persons, worked 12 homicides, 13 armed robberies, one kidnapping and four rapes.   She also worked numerous arsons, burglaries, stolen vehicles and other felonies.   Taffy’s handler testified in two homicide trials, based on Taffy’s work, resulting in the conviction of both suspects.

Taffy and Doug received numerous awards in their 10 years of service together.   They received the Orange County Sheriff’s Department Gold Star Award, California Gold Star Award, Larry Peabody Search and Rescue Award.  The Meritorious Service Award from the American Bloodhound Club, Achievement of Canine Excellence was also received.  Taffy was chosen as the American Kennel Club 2008 Search and Rescue Dog of the Year.   Taffy was also a great ambassador for the department in her tenure, doing about 100 Officer Friendly events and other public relation events.   Taffy enjoyed the public and especially children.

Even after retirement, Taffy continued to live with Doug and his wife Debbie until her unfortunate passing on January 13, 2012.    

“Irvine Blades” Girls’ Soccer Coach Charged With Coercing 13-Year Old into Sending Him Pornographic Videos 

The Orange County District Attorney’s Office put out a press release today regarding the arrest of Robert Vincent PEACE; a girls’ recreational soccer coach for the Irvine Blades.  The DA's Office filed charges against PEACE for meeting a 13-year old girl in an online chat room and coercing her into sending him sexually explicit videos of herself. PEACE, a resident of Lake Forest, was also charged with possessing nearly 2,000 child pornography images and videos.  The DA's Press Release can be viewed at:  http://orangecountyda.com/home/index.asp?page=8&recordid=2810&returnurl=index%2Easp%3Fpage%3D8

The case was investigated by the Orange County Child Exploitation Task Force (OCCETF).  The primary mission of OCCETF is to identify and arrest child predators operating in the county.  The task force is comprised of members from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the U.S. Secret Service, the Orange County Sheriff’s Department, and the Huntington Beach Police Department. OCCETF encourages the public to report suspected child predators and any suspicious activity through ICE's toll-free hotline at 1-866-347-2423. Suspected child sexual exploitation or missing children may be reported to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, a Task Force partner, at 1-800-843-5678 or http://www.cybertipline.com.