ACO Courses By Outside Sources

Includes courses that are approved by the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) to meet training requirements set forth in Texas Health and Safety Code, Chapter 829, Animal Control Officer Training and for which the course sponsor has requested posting; however, they are conducted by outside sponsors, NOT the DSHS.  It is the responsibility of each animal control officer to fulfill these mandated training requirements, keep accurate records of their DSHS-approved training, and have this documentation available for review by facility inspectors.  In the chart below, call the number provided or click on a contact name for the course for which you would like to register to ask questions about a particular course.

Chapter 829 of the Texas Health and Safety Code mandates that 30 hours of required continuing education (CE) training for Animal Control Officers (ACOs) approved by the Department of State Health Services (DSHS) be completed every 3 years. Of these, DSHS policy has been that a maximum of 10 hours per 3-year period can be obtained via satisfactory completion of DSHS-approved online training.  However, due to the number of course cancellations and the limitations on travel created by the outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), a temporary exception to this limit has been implemented.  For ACOs whose 3-year period ends between March 15, 2020, and March 15, 2021 (inclusive), up to 30 of the required CE hours can be earned via satisfactory completion of DSHS-approved online training.  Please note that certificates of completion from online sponsors may still include the statement about the 10-hour limit; that does not mean that this temporary exception does not apply.  

Reminder: Currently there is still a requirement in Chapter 829 that the 30 hours of CE be completed within the 3-year period following the completion date of the ACO Basic Training course. However, in light of recent COVID-related events, there is a possibility that the requirement may be waived. We will update you if there is any change.  

Please be advised that the outbreak of COVID-19 has resulted in cancellation of many Animal Control Officer Basic Training and continuing education courses.  Contact the course sponsor to determine if a course you plan to attend will still be conducted.

The ACO Basic training course does NOT count toward an ACO’s CE hours.

Additionally, the euthanasia training courses listed below have been approved to meet training requirements set forth in Texas Health and Safety Code, Chapter 821, Treatment and Disposition of Animals.

Before attending a non-DSHS course, an ACO should request verification from the course sponsor that a specific course, including title, date, and location, has been pre-approved by the DSHS for meeting Chapter 829 ACO training requirements.  Upon completion of training, an ACO may request a new certificate from the course sponsor if the one that is issued does not contain the following information:  course title, participant’s name, whether the course is Basic or continuing education (CE), course date and location, length of course in DSHS-approved hours, a statement that the course was approved by DSHS, and the course sponsor’s name and contact information.

*Schedule for Non-DSHS ACO Courses
These courses are approved by the Department of State Health Services (DSHS) to meet training requirements set forth in Texas Health and Safety Code, Ch. 829, Animal Control Officer Training.  Additionally the euthanasia training courses have been approved to meet training requirements set forth in Texas Health and Safety Code Ch. 821, Treatment and Disposition of Animals. All of these courses are conducted by outside sponsors, NOT the DSHS.  You need to get in touch with the contact(s) listed for a course to obtain details about it.