Colorado Department of Agriculture
Animal Industry Division
Bureau of Animal Protection Rules
8 CCR 1201-18
Definitions:
(1.)	“Agent” means an agent of the individual appointed by the Commissioner and approved by the Agricultural Commission to assist with the enforcement authorities of the Bureau of Animal Protection appointed by the Commissioner and approved by the Agricultural Commission , as set forth in § 35-42-101, et seq.,  C.R.S.
(2)	“Commissioned officer” means an agent of the Bureau of Animal Protection approved by the Agricultural Commission.
2.	“Animal Control Officer” means an employee of a state, county, or municipal government, or of a political subdivision thereof, or an individual who is contracted to provide animal control, management, welfare investigation, or enforcement services for a governmental entity, who is responsible for the enforcement of animal laws, ordinances, regulations, or state statutes.
Rules: Recommended Standards for an Animal Control Officer
1.	Commissioned Officers of the Bureau of Animal Protection shall inform the Commissioner of Agriculture or his agent before impounding livestock or posting bond for any animal(s) under C.R.S. 35-42-101 through C.R.S. 35-42-114 or 18-9-202.5 respectively.
2 1.	In addition to the any applicable requirements set forth in § 35-42-107, C.R.S., each applicant shall satisfy the following requirements, unless the Commissioner determines that an applicant's experience and training constitute equivalent qualification for a commission by an Animal Control Officer’s employing or supervising entity, the Commissioner recommends the following training, or equivalent experience, for Animal Control Officer certification:
A).	8 hours’ training and/or classes in legal authority for animal cruelty investigations (state law, constitutional law, search and seizure);
B).	10 8 hours’ training in animal care and control skills , behavior, and handling skills (large and small animals);
C.	5 hours’ training in animals as evidence/collection or evidence/chain of custody;
D.	4 hours’ training in crisis intervention and conflict resolution, including self-defense;
C) E.	3 hours’ training in occupational safety (zoonotic diseases, human and animal first aid etc.);
D)	5 hours interpersonal communication skills and creative conflict resolution;
E)	8 hours equine husbandry including Henneke body condition scoring;
F)	1 year experience in law enforcement, animal care and control or animal husbandry; and
G)	30 hours of continued education and training shall be completed every 3 years.
H)	All training courses must be approved by the Commissioner prior to training.
F.	3 hours’ training in report writing and courtroom preparation;
G.	3 hours’ training in exotic and wildlife identification and handling;
H.	2 hours’ training in child and elder abuse/neglect, domestic violence, and cross-reporting;
I.	2 hours’ training in professionalism and ethics;
J.	2 hours’ training in disaster preparedness; and
K.	Successful completion of Colorado Association of Animal Control Officers’ certification test.
2.	The Commissioner recommends that these standards for training be completed within 18 months of when an Animal Control Officer first accepts employment. 
3.	The Commissioner recommends that Animal Control Officers complete 20 hours of training within every two-year cycle.
4.	The Colorado Association of Animal Control Officers (CAACO) shall maintain all records in relation to Animal Control Officer certification and continuing education requirements. These records shall be made available to the Commissioner upon request and shall include a current list of each individual who is an Animal Control Officer, the type of training courses that officer has completed, and the number of hours of training each such officer has completed.
5.	The Commissioner recommends that CAACO update these records at least once every 2 years.
Required Training Standards, Bureau of Animal Protection Agents
1.	There shall be two categories of Bureau of Animal Protection (BAP) Agent as follows:
A.	A “Pet Animal Agent” whose scope of investigation shall be limited only to pet animals, which shall be defined as dogs, cats, rabbits, guinea pigs, hamsters, mice, rats gerbils, ferrets, birds, fish reptiles, amphibians, and invertebrates, or any other species of wild or household pet, except cattle, horses, mules, burros, sheep, poultry, swine, llama, and goats, regardless of use, and any animal that is used for working purposes on a farm or ranch; and
B.	An “Equine Agent” whose scope of investigations shall be limited only to those horses, mules, and asses, not used in the farm or ranch production of food, fiber, or other products defined by the Commissioner as agricultural products.
2.	An Agent may be classified as one or both of these categories, depending on training and qualification.
3.	To be eligible for a commission as a Bureau of Animal Protection Agent, an applicant must demonstrate successful completion of the training requirements as follows:
A.	10 hours’ training in pet animal husbandry body and condition scoring;
B.	6 hours’ training in report writing, evidence collection, chain of custody, and courtroom preparation (both);
C.	1 years’ experience in law enforcement, animal care and control or animal husbandry;
D.	8 hours’ training or classes in legal authority for animal cruelty investigations (state law, constitutional law, search and seizure);
E.	8 hours’ training in behavior and handling skills (both);
F.	4 hours’ training in crisis intervention and conflict resolution, including self-defense;
G.	3 hours’ training in occupational safety (zoonotic diseases, human and animal first aid, etc.); and
H.	2 hours’ training in disaster preparedness.
4.	To be eligible for a commission as a Bureau of Animal Protection Agent as an Equine Agent, an applicant must demonstrate successful completion of the training requirements set forth in paragraph 3 above and the following, additional training:
A.	10 hours’ training in equine animal husbandry, body condition scoring, and behavior; and
B.	6 hours’ training in equine nutrition.
5.	An Agent shall complete 30 hours of continuing education and training, from the courses described above, within every two-year cycle.
6.	If the applicant believes he can demonstrate that his previous training or experience satisfies a particular training requirement, the applicant may petition the Commissioner, in writing, for a waiver of that particular requirement.
7.	Each Agent’s initial commission will be contingent upon satisfactory completion of all training.
8.	The responsibility to submit verification of successful completion is the responsibility of the applicant.
9.	The Commissioner shall maintain a list of approved courses that meet the training requirements set forth above, which shall be available upon request.
Required Continuing Education, Bureau of Animal Protection Agents
1.	Agents shall submit documentation of continuing education to the Bureau of Animal Protection no later than December 1 of each calendar year.
2.	The Bureau of Animal Protection will maintain each Agent’s submitted documentation of completed continuing education.
3.	The Commissioner may require any Bureau Commissioned Officer Agent to complete additional continuing education classes, or may suspend or revoke the officer's commission.
4.	The Commissioner may refuse to renew any Agent’s commission if such Agent has not completed the required continuing education within the appropriate amount of time.
Statistical Reporting, Bureau of Animal Protection Agents
4 1.	One designated aAgent per agency shall be designated to submit monthly statistics to the Bureau of Animal Protection, via the Bureau’s website, indicating the number of animal cruelty/neglect investigations (by species), the number of animals impounded (by species), and the number of summonses issued on a during the previous monthly basis. 
2.	Statistics for any given month shall be due on the last day of each successive month, i.e., statistics due July 31 will reflect the number of investigations that occurred during the month of June.
3.	The designated Agent’s Ffailure to submit statistics may result in the Agriculture Commissioner’s deciding to revoke Commissioner’s refusing to renew the designated aAgent’s commission, thus taking away any legal authority to investigate or enforce any laws normally granted under §35-42-107, C.R.S.
Impoundment Reporting, Bureau of Animal Protection Agents
1.	No Agent may impound any pet animal or equine, pursuant to § 35-42-101, et seq., prior to consultation with and approval from the Commissioner or his designee. 
Statements of Basis, Specific Statutory Authority and Purpose
1.	Adopted April 4, 2003 – Effective June 30, 2003
The Colorado State Agricultural Commission adopts these rules pursuant to Section C.R.S. 35-42-106.
The purpose of rule 1 is to inform the State Veterinarian's Office before any animal is impounded, and to protect the owner from having his animal(s) unnecessarily impounded, or to require an owner to post bond for an unnecessary impoundment. 
The purpose of rule 2 is to have minimum education/experience requirements for BAP commission applicants.
The purpose of rule 3 is to provide choices in disciplinary action, other than commission revocation, for any problem that may arise regarding legal authority.
2.	Adopted March 5, 2007 – Effective May 1, 2007
The Commissioner of Agriculture adopts these rules pursuant to § 35-42-106, C.R.S.
The purpose of rule 4 is to establish reporting requirements to aid the Bureau of Animal Protection in compiling accurate statistics to be reported to the Commissioner of Agriculture and other entities as requested. These statistics reflect work done by all agents of the Bureau as commissioned law enforcement officers as defined in § 35-42-107, C.R.S.
3.	Adopted November 12, 2014 – Effective December 30, 2014
The Commissioner of the Colorado Department of Agriculture adopts these rules pursuant to his authority as set forth at §§ 35-42-106 and 35-42-107(6), C.R.S.
These rules were initially adopted in 2003 and have been revised only once, in 2007, since their adoption. Since 2003, the numbers of individuals commissioned as Bureau of Animal Protection Agents has grown. As the number has grown, the Department has identified key areas of education, training, continuing education, and statistical reporting that are critical to ensuring that all agents, both animal control officers and other individuals appointed by the Commissioner to be Bureau Agents, are consistently trained to assist the Commissioner with enforcement of the Animal Protection Act.
In line with the authorities set forth in the statute, the rule now distinguishes Animal Control Officers for purposes of providing recommended standards for such officers. Recognizing that such officers report directly to their respective governmental authority, the rule sets forth standards that the local governmental agencies may look to for guidance with regard to what training and education the Department and the Commissioner find appropriate and useful for such persons.
Additionally, the revised rule proposes recommendations regarding who should maintain records of the Animal Control Officers’ training, what information in those records must be made available to the Commissioner, and how those records should be maintained.
The new rule establishes both required training for Bureau of Animal Protection Agents and required continuing education. Since 2003 when these rules were written, the Department has worked to establish the training that is necessary, relevant, and useful to individuals who are commissioned to assist the Commissioner with enforcement of this Act. These required training and continuing education requirements ensure that the Commissioner’s statutory requirements with regard to protecting animal welfare are fulfilled by those whom he commissions to assist with enforcement of the Act.
The purpose of “Statistical Reporting, Bureau of Animal Protection Agents” is to establish reporting requirements to aid the Bureau of Animal Protection in compiling accurate statistics to be reported to the Commissioner of Agriculture or other entities as requested. These statistics reflect work done by all agents of the Bureau as commissioned law enforcement officers as defined in § 35-42-107, C.R.S.
The purpose of including a section regarding “Impoundment Reporting, Bureau of Animal Protection Agents” is to ensure that no Agent impound any pet animal or non-livestock equine pursuant to § 35-42-109(2)(a), C.R.S., without first notifying and receiving authorization from the Commissioner of the Colorado Department of Agriculture.
Additionally, throughout the rule, the Commissioner has removed out-dated, unclear, and redundant language.