Education & Training Resources
De-escalation and Crisis Management for Animal Control and Animal Shelter Employees
Those working in Animal Control and at Animal Shelters encounter potentially hostile situations with humans on a daily basis. How do we manage those situations and prevent them from escalating? How do we ensure our own tone, words and body language aren’t the reason for the escalation in the first place? Additionally, how do we navigate humans experiencing crisis and traumatic events with empathy while ensuring compliance? In this presentation you will learn valuable techniques in preventing conflict escalation and ideally resolving those conflicts peacefully. By slowing things down, creating space, changing our own body language, asking open ended questions and building rapport we can effectively diffuse most situations peacefully while also helping serve the community.
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
ACO Photography
Live on Zoom
Wed., December 18
9:30-11:30am PT
Recording available for 60 days
Belinda Lewis, MS, CAWA
We don’t just photograph animals…we photograph circumstances
Learn what to shoot and how to shoot it.
This course is geared toward becoming a better investigator. It differs from our forensic photography class as it targets daily work rather than narrowing to criminal case. That makes it an asset for both the new ACO and the seasoned officer. Portray the circumstances of the incident, photographically show the relevance of what you find, and illustrate the elements of the violation. Make proper photographic capture a habit of your daily work to ensure your case package reflects the professional that you are.
Sponsored by:
Shelter Behavior Training Series 2024
Five Recorded Sessions
(Recordings available until 12/31/24)
Kelley Bollen, MS, CABC
5-Part Seminar:
"What all animal welfare professionals should know about dog and cat behavior!"
Five Recorded 90-minute Sessions
(recordings are available through 12/31/24)
Resolving Common Behavior Problems to Prevent Surrender
Intake and Adoptions – A Behavior Perspective
Reading Dog and Cat Body Language
Reducing Stress in the Shelter Environment
Canine Behavior Assessments and Placement Decisions
CE Certificates - Each session is 1.5 CEUs, totaling 7.5 CEUs
$70 Members
$100 Non-members (Learner Profile) must (for this series only) be a resident of California.
Sponsored by:
CalAnimals Officer Academy Basic
Virtual - On Demand
60-80 hours
Self-paced, online instruction
Take up to 4 months to complete
Animal Welfare Professionals
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.
$450 Members (staff of CalAnimals member organizations)
$500 Non-members (Learner Profile needed)
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 voluntary certification program for ACOs.
*To obtain certification:
1. You must be employed as an ACO
2. Taken PC 832 Arrest, Search and Seizure
3. Completed a qualifying animal law academy
Sponsored by:
CalAnimals Officer Academy Advanced
Virtual - On Demand
40+ hours
Self-paced, online instruction
Take up to 4 months to complete
Animal Welfare Professionals
Animal Control Officers and Humane Officers now have the opportunity to complete an advanced training academy on their own time, at their own pace, without travel.
This is a web-based, on-demand course consisting of more than 40 hours of training to advance skills for investigations, work more effectively with the public, respond to disasters, implement effective programs for cats, safely interact with wildlife, and more! This course meets the requirements for 40 CEUs every 3 years outlined in Health and Safety Code Sec 26222 and California Corporations Code Section 14502 for Certified Animal Control Officers and State Humane Officers. This academy is a collection of video trainings conducted by a variety of exceptional experts in our field.
View Course Outline
$400 Members (staff of CalAnimals member organizations)
$450 Non-members (Learner Profile needed)
***Save $100 - Enroll before November 30, 2024
**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.
Sponsored by:
San Diego Humane Law Enforcement Academy (Basic)
In-person in 2025
San Diego, CA
Please check back for dates and registration information.
Hosted by the San Diego Humane Society
The next San Diego Humane Law Enforcement Academy will be in-person in San Diego. Check their website for more information and to register. All 80 hours of instruction must be completed in order to receive a completion certificate.
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.
$400
Sponsored by:
Koret's Shelter Care Specialist Certification Program
Application Deadline 12/5/24
Offered by Koret Shelter Medicine Program Shelter Learniverse
Transform your shelter work with professional certification in 2025!
Are you ready to take your career in animal sheltering to the next level? Offered by the Koret Shelter Medicine Program Shelter Learniverse as part of Maddie's® Million Pet Challenge, the Shelter Care Specialist Certification Program empowers frontline animal shelter workers to provide exceptional care, grounded in best practices, with a focus on improving outcomes for animals and communities.
Applications are now being accepted for the Winter 2025 session starting 1/6/25! Start learning today and become part of the growing movement to transform animal sheltering.
Sponsored by:
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Recorded Training Workshops are available for rent for 60 days from purchase date.
(Officer Academy = 4 months) -
Individual registration is required using your Employee Sub-Account or Learner Profile (non-members).
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Most recordings are available to everyone.
(Members/Non-Members) -
FAQ
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You may already have an account.
(Try your work email as your username.)
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CE Certificates are now available immediately after viewing the workshop and remain stored in your CalAnimals Classroom Profile.
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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Check again soon for more dates Email Renee to Register
Each day is 9:00am-2:30pm
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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Online - Tuesday, June 18, 9:00-5:30 Email Kim to Register
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with hands-on Thursday, June 20, 9:00-1:00 in Fresno
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with hands-on Monday, June 24, 9:00-1:00 in Novato
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Contact Kim for more workshops in June, August and October:
Instructors:
Kim Lanham-Snyder, Certified Euthanasia Instructor | Klanhamsnyder@gmail.com
Renee Harris, Top2Cats Consulting | reneeharris@top2catsconsulting.com
Want to keep informed about our trainings?
Please request a Learner Profile to add your name to our Contact List.