
Education & Training Resources
CalAnimals provides trainings throughout the year for California animal welfare professionals on a variety of topics. Our Animal Law Enforcement Training Academies, in partnership with Marin Humane, United States Service Command, and San Diego Humane Society, are the go-to training programs for animal control officers and humane officers throughout California. Additionally, we provide one-day trainings and webinars and our new on-demand CalAnimals Officer Academy.
**Please note: CalAnimals webinars and trainings are for informational purposes only. Please check with your own municipality, legal counsel, and/or veterinarian to determine which activities are appropriate for your agency.**
Upcoming Trainings
CalAnimals Officer Academy
Virtual - On Demand
60+ hours of self-paced,
online instruction
Hosted by CalAnimals
Sponsored by:
Your Animal Control Officers and Humane Officers now have the opportunity to complete a training academy on their own time, at their own pace, without travel.
This is a web-based, on-demand course consisting of more than 60 hours of training in California state laws and animal care, specifically to meet the requirements outlined in Health and Safety Code Sec 26222 and California Corporations Code Section 14502. This academy is a collection of video trainings conducted by a variety of exceptional experts in our field, along with quizzes to help ensure that content is understood.
This training program was designed to ensure all animal officers throughout the state of California have access to quality training and industry best practices, and support each officer’s eligibility to become certified.
The CalAnimals Certified Animal Control Officer program is our state’s only certification program for ACOs and a means of recognizing the training and professionalism of our officers and the important work they do in serving their communities.
$450 Members (staff of CalAnimals member organizations), sign-in to receive member pricing
$500 Non-members
Register anytime - take up to 4 months from enrollment to complete the curriculum.
Humane Law Enforcement Academy Training Class
In-Person/Virtual Hybrid
La Mesa, CA
June 5-16, 2023, 8am-5pm
Hosted by The United States Service Command, Animal Rescue Services
Sponsored by:
In Person/Virtual Hybrid - La Mesa, CA
June 5th-16th, 2023
$450. Please call for more INFORMATION (858) 925-7096
The Humane Law Enforcement Academy is intended to provide the 20 hours of training in animal care and 40 hours of training in California humane laws under California Corporations Code section 14502.
Chemical Immobilization Training for California ACOs
In-Person in Irvine
Thursday, August 3, 2023
8am-5pm
San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance Academy in collaboration with CalAnimals
Sponsored by:

This training class is developed specifically for animal control officers and humane officers in the state of California pursuant to CCR 2039.5. The instructors are veterinarians and biologists who specialize in remotely-delivered anesthetic agents. This program, which has historically been considered by many to be the standard in chemical immobilization training, is now part of San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance Academy.
Early Registration Fee: $475
General Registration Fee: $495
8 CEs
Join an upcoming in-person event:
Thursday, August 3, 8:00am-5:00pm
Hosted at Irvine Police Dept, 1 Civic Center Plaza, Irvine, CA 92606
Early Registration ends: 7/19/23 General Registration ends: 7/26/23
Flyer available, click button above. Questions? Email Beth: bingram@sdzwa.org
San Diego Humane Academy (Basic)
Check back for Spring dates
Hosted by the San Diego Humane Society
Sponsored by:
The San Diego Humane Academy will be hosted virtually via Zoom. All 80 hours of instruction must be completed in order to receive a completion certificate.
Virtual by Zoom
Check their website for Spring 2023 dates.
Tuition is $400.
A $75 fee will be applied to any cancellations.
Please note that the final decision as to whether a course satisfies the training requirements for humane officer appointment rests with the superior court charged with confirming the appointment.
Recorded Trainings - Rent on Demand
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Recorded Training Workshops are available for rent for 60 days from purchase date.
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Register for each workshop separately.
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The recordings are available to everyone. Remember to sign-into your organization's CalAnimals account to receive the member discount. (Try your work email.)
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CE Certificates will be sent the 1st Monday of each month to registered attendees who view the recording.
Various Dates and Locations (see below)
Euthanasia Training

When necessary, shelter staff may euthanize animals if they have completed a curriculum of at least eight hours of training as specified in the Euthanasia Training Curriculum published by the California Animal Welfare Association (CalAnimals). The training must be provided by a veterinarian, RVT, or instructor certified by (CalAnimals). Class size is limited and pre-registration is required. Email the instructors for more information on scheduling a training convenient for you.
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June 19-21 Email Renee to Register
Each day is 9-12:30
Renee's courses are currently virtual with the hands-on component scheduled after the training.
Contact Renee for location and details.
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June 15 (virtual/in-person) & 16 (hands-on): Register for June
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October 17 (virtual/in-person) & 18 (hands-on): Register for October
Each day is 9-5:30
Kim's courses are offered virtually or in-person with the hands-on component scheduled for the second day on the Marin Humane campus. We recommend attendees be fully vaccinated for COVID when attending in-person. View Marin Humane flyer.
Instructors:
Kim Lanham-Snyder, Marin Humane | klanham@marinhumane.org
Renee Harris, Top2Cats Consulting | reneeharris@top2catsconsulting.com
Want to keep informed about our trainings?
Please add your name to our Contact List.