AACIS offers four, 40-hour animal cruelty investigator certification courses that go deep into the investigative processes required to conduct a thorough, professional investigation. Each course addresses breed-specific animal knowledge, food and water requirements, veterinary requirements, shelter requirements, and general welfare considerations. Additionally, students will receive body condition score certifications for each species addressed. Other important topics presented are Interviews, investigative report writing, and crime scene analysis, and case file development.
Each course includes PowerPoint presentations, group discussions, case law reading assignments, and scenario-based training exercises to build competent, professional investigators.
Recognizing the high level of civil liability associated with dangerous dog investigations, AACIS also provides a separate 8-hour certification course for conducting dangerous dog investigations. Each dangerous dog investigator course is specific to the state in which the course is taught and addresses the state laws pertaining to the dangerous dog investigation.
The following information provides details for each of the investigator certification courses:
Professional Animal Cruelty Investigator
Canine & Feline Investigations
Course Code: PACI-1
Course Length: 40 hours
The Professional Animal Cruelty Investigator: Canine and Feline Investigations course is a 40-hour course that provides officers with the necessary skills and resources to conduct effective cruelty investigations involving crimes against canine and feline animals.
This course includes block training in dangerous dog investigations, hoarding investigations, dogfighting investigations, neglect and intentional cruelty investigations, legal environment, crime scene processing, and zoonotic diseases.
- Constitutional Law
- Animal Welfare Assessments
- Investigative Report Writing
- Dangerous Dog Investigations
- Hoarding Investigations
- Dogfighting Investigations
- Body Condition Scoring
- Animal Cruelty Case File Analysis
- Case File Development
Students must attend all training hours of the class, participate in the practical exercises and discussions, and pass a written examination with a score of 75% or higher.
Students who successfully complete this course will provided with a certification card and certificate with the following endorsements from the American Animal Cruelty Investigations School:
- Professional Animal Cruelty Investigator: Canine & Feline Investigations
- Investigative Body Condition Scoring: Canine & Feline
The tuition fees for this class are as follows:
- Early Registration: $550.00
- General Registration: $600.00
- Late Registration: $650.00
Tuition fee deadline dates are available on each of the course information sheets in the event calendar section of this website.
NOTE: Students are not considered registered for the course unless they have:
- Registered for the class via the AACIS website and;
- AACIS has received the tuition fee for the class.
Professional Animal Cruelty Investigator
Equine Investigations
Course Code: PACI-2
Course Length: 40 hours
The Professional Animal Cruelty Investigator: Equine Investigations course is a 40-hour course that provides officers with the necessary skills and resources to conduct effective cruelty investigations involving crimes against equine animals.
This course includes training in dangerous dog investigations, hoarding investigations, dogfighting investigations, neglect and intentional cruelty investigations, legal environment, crime scene processing, and zoonotic diseases.
- Fundamental Equine Knowledge
- Breed and Color Identification
- Investigative Report Writing
- Equine Podiatry
- Equine Dental
- Equine Gastrointestinal Tract
- Body Condition Scoring
- Animal Cruelty Case File Analysis
- Case File Development
Students must attend all training hours of the class, participate in the practical exercises and discussions, and pass a written examination with a score of 75% or higher.
Students who successfully complete this course will provided with a certification card and certificate with the following endorsements from the American Animal Cruelty Investigations School:
- Professional Animal Cruelty Investigator: Equine Investigations
- Investigative Body Condition Scoring: Equine
The tuition fees for this class are as follows:
- Early Registration: $550.00
- General Registration: $600.00
- Late Registration: $650.00
Tuition fee deadline dates are available on each of the course information sheets in the event calendar section of this website.
NOTE: Students are not considered registered for the course unless they have:
- Registered for the class via the AACIS website and;
- AACIS has received the tuition fee for the class.
Professional Animal Cruelty Investigator
Livestock Investigations
Course Code: PACI-3
Course Length: 40 hours
The Professional Animal Cruelty Investigator: Livestock Investigations course is a 40-hour course that provides officers with the necessary skills and resources to conduct effective cruelty investigations involving crimes against animals kept as livestock.
This course includes fundamental knowledge of ruminant animals and animal species. Students will actively research various livestock species and present their findings in an investigative format and answer questions from the instructor and class members.
- Fundamental Ruminant Knowledge
- Animal Welfare Assessments
- Investigative Report Writing
- Water and Food Requirements
- Shelter Requirements
- Veterinary Care Requirements
- Body Condition Scoring
- Animal Cruelty Case File Analysis
- Case File Development
Students must attend all training hours of the class, participate in the practical exercises and discussions, and pass a written examination with a score of 75% or higher.
Students who successfully complete this course will provided with a certification card and certificate with the following endorsements from the American Animal Cruelty Investigations School:
- Professional Animal Cruelty Investigator: Livestock Investigations
- Investigative Body Condition Scoring: Livestock
The tuition fees for this class are as follows:
- Early Registration: $550.00
- General Registration: $600.00
- Late Registration: $650.00
Tuition fee deadline dates are available on each of the course information sheets in the event calendar section of this website.
NOTE: Students are not considered registered for the course unless they have:
- Registered for the class via the AACIS website and;
- AACIS has received the tuition fee for the class.
Professional Animal Cruelty Investigator
Exotic and Reptile Investigations
Course Code: PACI-4
Course Length: 40 hours
The Professional Animal Cruelty Investigator: Canine and Feline Investigations course is a 40-hour course that provides officers with the necessary skills and resources to conduct effective cruelty investigations involving crimes against canine and feline animals.
This course includes block training in dangerous dog investigations, hoarding investigations, dogfighting investigations, neglect and intentional cruelty investigations, legal environment, crime scene processing, and zoonotic diseases.
- Constitutional Law
- Animal Welfare Assessments
- Investigative Report Writing
- Dangerous Dog Investigations
- Hoarding Investigations
- Dogfighting Investigations
- Body Condition Scoring
- Animal Cruelty Case File Analysis
- Case File Development
Students must attend all training hours of the class, participate in the practical exercises and discussions, and pass a written examination with a score of 75% or higher.
Students who successfully complete this course will provided with a certification card and certificate with the following endorsements from the American Animal Cruelty Investigations School:
- Professional Animal Cruelty Investigator: Canine & Feline Investigations
- Investigative Body Condition Scoring: Exotics & Reptiles
The tuition fees for this class are as follows:
- Early Registration: $550.00
- General Registration: $600.00
- Late Registration: $650.00
Tuition fee deadline dates are available on each of the course information sheets in the event calendar section of this website.
NOTE: Students are not considered registered for the course unless they have:
- Registered for the class via the AACIS website and;
- AACIS has received the tuition fee for the class.
Professional Animal Cruelty Investigator
Dangerous Dog Investigations
Course Code: DDI
Course Length: 8 hours
The Dangerous Dog Investigator certification course is an 8-hour course that provides officers with the necessary skills and resources to conduct effective cruelty investigations involving dangerous dogs.
This course includes block training in dangerous dog-bite statistics, breed-specific information, interviews, report writing, behavior assessments, decision-making, crime scene analysis, injury documentation, dog-bite analysis, dangerous dog case law, and minimizing officer and agency liability.
- Dog bite statistics
- State-specific laws pertaining to dangerous dogs
- Breed specific information
- Crime scene analysis
- Injury documentation
- Interviews and report writing
- Dangerous dog case law
- Behavior assessments
Students must attend all training hours of the class, participate in the practical exercises and discussions, and pass a written examination with a score of 75% or higher.
Students who successfully complete this course will provided with a certification card and certificate with the following endorsements from the American Animal Cruelty Investigations School:
- Dangerous Dog Investigations
The tuition fees for this class are as follows:
- Early Registration: $175.00
- General Registration: $200.00
- Late Registration: $225.00
Tuition fee deadline dates are available on each of the course information sheets in the event calendar section of this website.
NOTE: Students are not considered registered for the course unless they have:
- Registered for the class via the AACIS website and;
- AACIS has received the tuition fee for the class.