Animal cruelty response training (a) As part of basic training in order to become certified as a Level II and Level III law enforcement officer, a person shall receive a training module on animal cruelty investigations as developed and approved by the Animal Cruelty Investigation Advisory Board and approved and administered by the Vermont Criminal Justice Council. (b) On or before December 31, 2023, humane officers as defined in 13 V.S.A. § 351(4)(B) shall complete an animal cruelty response training as developed and approved by the Animal Cruelty Investigation Advisory Board and approved and administered by the Vermont Criminal Justice Council. The Council shall provide the training only to designated humane society employees, animal control officers appointed by the legislative body of a municipality, and other humane officers as defined in 13 V.S.A. § 351(4). The trainings shall be conducted on a periodic basis by qualified instructors as determined by the Animal Cruelty Investigation Advisory Board. (c) The Animal Cruelty Investigation Advisory Board may elect to require that humane officers as defined in 13 V.S.A. ied instructors as determined by the Animal Cruelty Investigation Advisory Board. (c) The Animal Cruelty Investigation Advisory Board may elect to require that humane officers as defined in 13 V.S.A. § 351(4)(B) complete a refresher course on the training required by this section on a periodic basis. Such refresher training shall be developed and approved by the Animal Cruelty Investigation Advisory Board and approved and administered by the Vermont Criminal Justice Council. (d) On or before January 1, 2024 and annually thereafter, the Vermont Criminal Justice Council shall provide the Animal Cruelty Investigation Advisory Board with a list of the individuals that completed the trainings as required by this section. (Added 2015, No. 155 (Adj. Sess.), § 5, eff. July 1, 2017; amended 2021, No. 38, § 3.)
Vermont Legal Code