About Us

Anne Dottore, head trainer and owner, has a lifetime of animal experience. She has been extensively involved in training horses for showing and racing. She spent many years as a zookeeper and primate curator for the Nashville Zoo, where she specialized in animal behavior and psychology. Anne has years of experience with working canines, and has served on many search & rescue missions, including responding with Rescue International to Staten Island following 9-11.Anne currently is a handler on FEMA Tennessee Task Force-1 with 4 operational Urban Search & Rescue canine. Anne has attended National K9 School for Dog Trainers, and has obtained certification as a companion dog trainer in Sept. 2003. This training included teaching beginning and advanced obedience, canine psychology, utility, puppy classes, behavior modification techniques, and temperment testing procedures.

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In October of 2004 Anne and her dog Sniper were selected to join FEMA Indiana Task Force-1. One of 28 elite task forces in the United States, selection to the Task Force is a great accomplishment which entails commitment to continuous ongoing training and rigorous testing.  In April, 2005 Anne completed the Canine Search Specialist course held in Indianapolis and in May Sniper passed his certification test as a FEMA Type II USAR dog. Anne currently has 2 other FEMA certified dogs.  Shotgun Shooter is a 2 year old Black Labrador Retriever  who passed his certification testing in Feb 2008. Ranger and Gunner both are black labs, and both certified with FEMA in 2012 as advanced search & rescue dogs. Anne currently has 4 federally certified canines, and is a deployment ready canine search specialist on Tennessee Task Force-1. 

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Anne & Sniper were deployed to hurricane Ophelia with Indiana Task Force-1 and also to recovery efforts in Mississippi following hurricane Katrina with Tennessee Task Force-2, as well as tornado recovery efforts in Macon county, TN. Other federal deployments include hurricanes Ike and Gustav. She has been a first responder with local and national search and rescue canine teams for over 15 years. 

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Anne Dottore 

Certified Dog Trainer

FEMA Canine Search Specialist, Tennessee Task Force 1

Kennel Staff: Several Western Kentucky University agriculture majors work part time at the training center, helping to clean and feed and give all the animals a tidy living environment