Doggie Rehab (Cont'd) October 29, 2008 best friend. "I just always loved them as a kid. I use to always have a bunch of dogs when I was little,'" he said. That passion led him to open Miller Kennels in 1982. The kennel provides specialized training for dogs in hunting, drug and explosives detection and police work. Miller's dogs can be found Across the U.S., working in a Variety of law enforcement and public safety roles. The job introduced Miller to dog-E lovers all over the country, but it also taught him of the need for an adoption service for the well-trained pooches. So last spring, Miller founded Animal Concepts Foundation, a nonprofit organization he runs out of his home that Specializes in training rescued and abandoned dogs to be placed for adoption. But Animal Concepts isn't like other dog rescues, Miller explained. "What we don't do is just take any and every dog and then hope it finds an owner," he said. "A lot of times it doesn't work because the dog doesn't have any prior type of training, or anything else. We try to do it a little different." The organization emphasizes hunting training, and most of the dogs rescued are either purebred hunting dogs, have been trained to hunt or display natural hunting instincts. Others are shelter dogs that take months to train before they're ready to be adopted, he said. The dogs also receive obedience training. "We've had a couple of dogs that just worked out just as family pets," Miller said. "But we try to process them according to what breed they are and what kind of drives they have, and enhance that." The foundation has already adopted out two dogs, with a third still in a monthlong tri-al period with its new owner. Seven more are waiting in the wings for a good home. Miller actually trained and sold a few of the rescued dogs himself, only to have them returned for one reason or another. "It just kind of happens to people. Various things change in their life, (they) can't keep the dog anymore, so they just say, 'We'll get rid of it or we'll put it down,'" Miller said. "All of them are healthy dogs, they all have a lot of experience." Miller doesn't let just anyone take one of his dogs home. He said he always takes the prospective owners out into a field near his home to feel them out and demonstrate how to work the dog and continue its training. He also charges a $500 adoption fee, $250 of which is a tax-deductible donation to the foundation. Miller acknowledges that not everyone appreciates what he's doing. A photo of a dog with a bird in its mouth on his Web site has drawn some criticism from animal activists. "I've had a lot of negative ... just people are kind of nuts sometimes. It's what they (dogs) do though. It says right on there what we're trying to accomplish," he said. "These dogs here, if you go throw a Frisbee they look at you like ... And?... You go get it. There are a few of them that will go get a retrieving dummy and stuff, but most of them are used to hunting. That's what they were trained to do, go find birds." To learn more about Animal Concepts Foundation and to view photos of dogs available for adoption, visit www.animalconceptsfoundation.com. 76