The McGruff House Program started in Utah in 1982 in response to several child abductions by child sexual predator Arthur Gary Bishop. Local volunteers, law enforcement representatives, and the school community came together to protect the children. Using the iconic McGruff the Crime Dog image, already a part of the law enforcement community crime prevention education programs and activities, the program became a success and is found today in more than 600 communities nationwide. For 25 years McGruff has helped law enforcement Take a Bite Out of Crime.