Animal Control Officer Resources

ACO Training

2024 Training Requirements

NEW ACOs: Maine ACO Certification Course required within 6 months of appointment by a municipality.

Maintenance of ACO Certification requires 8 hours of annual training, beginning the year following certification.

There are five Core subject areas in which 1 training hour must be taken every 3 years.

Core 1- ACO Safety
Core 2- Ethics
Core 3- HIPAA for Law Enforcement
Core 4- Officer Wellness & Mental Health Awareness
Core 5- Implicit Human Bias

ACOs must submit their training certificates to AWP by 12/31 each year to maintain certification. Failure to complete the required 8 hours in any year results in a lapse of certification beginning January 1 of the following year. Retaking the ACO Certification Course is the only way to regain certification following a lapse.

Submit Proof of Training

Animal Control Officer Certification

To be certified as an Animal Control Officer in Maine, the completion of our Online ACO Certification Training is required. The training consists of the core competencies that all ACOs must be aware of to perform their duties efficiently and includes the basic and advanced training requirements laid out by M.S.R.A. Chapter 717 §3906-B(4).

All trainees will be required to register with an email address to receive the instruction for the online training.
Cost: $50
Registration Form (PDF)

ACO Continuing Education Training

Advance approval is recommended for any non-AWP-sponsored or pre-approved courses for CE credit. The request should be submitted to the AWP not less than 2 weeks before the date the course is to begin. Please email the request to Connor.Egan@Maine.gov.

Pre-approved low-cost and no-cost courses are abundantly available. You can find Maine ACO Pre-approved courses below: Please note that some trainings will be hosted and/or organized by a third party.

Approved Courses on Justice Clearinghouse +

Maine ACO Preapproved Training Courses.

The courses are all approved to fulfill CE requirements. Some courses are also approved to fill CORE requirements and are marked at the bottom of the detailed page once you click on the individual course of interest.

For example: This webinar has been pre-approved by the Maine Animal Welfare Program for 1 Continuing Education Unit in Core Area 4 (Officer Wellness & Mental Health) for the State of Maine's ACO annual training. You can find more information about Certification, required annual training or submitting materials for credit at Maines Animal Control Officer Resource Page.

Need an account? If you do not have an active Justice Clearinghouse account, please email animal.welfare@maine.gov to request an account.

Close -

Approved Courses on National Animal Care and Control Association +

Free ACO Training Courses.

Close -

April 25, 2025 Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza in 2025: Birds, Cows, Cats, Humans - Situational Awareness for Animal Control Officers +

Date: April 25, 2025

Time: 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM

Organization: Animal Welfare Program

Location: Microsoft Teams

Instructor: Asst. State Veterinarian Rachael Fiske

Fee: Free

Credit: 1 CEU

Asst. State Veterinarian Rachael Fiske will provide an update on the National and State HPAI Outbreak, including practical tips for assessing HPAI risk in the animals that ACOs work with.

Close -

May 20, 2025 - May 21, 2025 Maine C.A.R.E.S: An Animal Cruelty Investigations and Response Workshop +

Date: May 20, 2025- May 21, 2025

Organization: ASPCA

Location: DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel, Portland, ME

Fee: Free

Credit: 16 CEUs

This free, two-day hands-on workshop is open to law enforcement, prosecutors, veterinarians, and rescue and sheltering organizations and is aimed at raising awareness about animal cruelty, forging key partnerships, and empowering participants to mitigate and prevent cruelty in their communities.

Attendees will engage in a comprehensive case study from start to finish, developing and practicing essential skills in investigation, seizure, evidence documentation, testimony, legal disposition, sheltering, care, and animal placement. They will also learn strategies for effectively managing the complexities of animal-related cases.

Event Agenda (PDF)

Close -

ACO Lunch & Learn Video Library

Animal Control Officers can earn a CEU by watching the video on YouTube and then taking (and passing) a quiz. Quiz links are available on the videos. Quizzes can be taken with unlimited attempts, but a passing score of 80% is required to receive credit.

July 28, 2023 : Animals and Hot Cars Don't Mix

August 25, 2023 : Kennel Inspections Requirements and Responsibilities

October 24, 2023 : Case Investigation and Ex Parte Orders Part 1

December 8, 2023 : Case Investigation and Ex Parte Orders Part 2

January 26, 2024 : ACO Duties and Responsibilities

February 23, 2024 : Lunch and Learn: Community Cats: How to navigate cat complaints in your community

April 12, 2024 : Lunch and Learn - Animal Hoarding with Rachel Welch

April 26, 2024 : Lunch and Learn: HSUS Handling "Nuisance" Wildlife Calls

May 31, 2024 : Dangerous Dogs from Complaint to Courtroom

June 28, 2024 : Lunch and Learn: Animals and Mental Health; Operating in Grey Areas

July 26, 2024 : Lunch and Learn: Body Condition Scoring Basics

August 30, 2024 : Common Issues for ACOs (including summons writing)