MENDOCINO CO., 1/15/26 — Friends and family are preparing to honor renowned French bulldog breeder Colette Secher at a memorial service this weekend following her death last month.
According to Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Capt. Quincy Cromer, a preliminary autopsy report indicates Secher, a Laytonville resident who was found dead in her vehicle in a field near her home on Dec. 27, likely died of a heart attack. She was 74.
Secher was originally from Algiers, Algeria, and was brought to the United States by her parents when she was 5 years old. She grew up speaking French, her first language.
According to her daughter, Danielle Secher, the family lived in Bannockburn, Illinois, before eventually moving to Northern California more than 20 years ago. But throughout their lives, Colette often took her children to Mendocino County to visit. She always had her eye on the bucolic landscape.
“My mom always had her mind set on living out there in Laytonville because she loved the small-town charm,” Danielle said in an interview. “My mom wanted to spend her later years in Laytonville. That’s where she found peace in solitude.”
Her daughter also spoke about her mother’s love of French bulldogs and how Colette was devoted to many different hobbies and interests.
“She loved her Frenchies, and she loved cannabis culture,” her daughter said. “She is missed so much. It’s been the hardest thing I’ve dealt with in my life. She was truly amazing, strong, multifaceted, and had friends and people all over the world. She had the ability to relate to anyone.”
In a Facebook post on the page “Honoring Departed AKC Dog Show Fanciers,” colleague Billy Miller praised Secher’s career as a dog breeder and her warm, comedic personality.
“Colette had a wonderful sense of humor and was a brilliant dog lady. Her LEFOX French Bulldogs certainly dazzled the show ring,” Miller wrote. “Over the years, Colette was involved with several breeds. She will be deeply missed. Our deepest sympathy to her family. She was a very special lady.”
A memorial for Colette Secher will be held at 2 p.m. Sunday at La Casona del Cielo in Laytonville.