Texas Department of State Health Services Animal Control Officer Training Manual

The Animal Control Officer Training Manual is a study guide prepared by the Texas Department of State Health Services' Zoonosis Control Branch (ZCB).  The online manual contains chapters covered in the ZCB's Animal Control Officer Basic Training course, including such topics as animal identification, capture and restraint, transportation, impoundment, disposition, health, safety, sanitation, records, controlled substances, animal cruelty investigations, and communication skills.  There are also copies of the laws pertinent to animal control.  Additionally, the manual is an excellent reference tool for animal control agencies.  The manual is available at this website at no charge or can be ordered from the ZCB Regional Office for your area at a cost of $40.00.  Please note that the manual is copyrighted and cannot be reproduced by any means without permission from the Texas Department of State Health Services.

Below are the links to PDFs of the entire text for the Animal Control Officer Training Manual. The manual was fully revised in 2014; however, updates have been incorporated.  The current dates are noted by the individual file names; those using the manual should check to ensure that they have the most recent versions.

Cover (PDF) (1/14)
Spine (PDF) (1/14)
Title Page (PDF) (9/23)
Change Documentation Sheet (PDF) (9/23)
Table of Contents (PDF) (9/23)
Basic Chapters
Texas Laws
Glossary (PDF) (1/14)