PACFA Qualifying and Continuing Education

The QE and CE courses are designed to provide all licensees with a baseline of knowledge to help generate a better understanding  of the rules and regulations, physical facility standards, cleaning and sanitation, animal care, veterinary care, recordkeeping, and transportation and import requirements. Providing this type of education will lead to better compliance, enhance the health, safety, and welfare of animals in pet care facilities and provide  better protection for consumers that use pet-related-services in Colorado.  

• The QE course is designed to ensure that all new applicants understand the PACFA rules and regulations, facility standards, standards of animal care, recordkeeping and other requirements of the Pet Animal Care Facilities Act and the rules and regulations prior to being licensed.  
• After all current licensees complete the QE course, future CE courses will be used as a tool for keeping existing licensees up to date with new laws, rule additions and/or changes, and changes within the pet care or animal welfare industries.   
   

All courses will be delivered online through an eLearning system also known as a Learning Management System (LMS) Portal. 

• When a new applicant submits the application to the CDA, PACFA’s Licensing and Education Unit (LEU) will review and process the application. 
• LMS accounts may not be shared.
• Once the application has been successfully processed the new applicant and/or licensee is enrolled in the QE course. An email will be sent providing a direct link to the LMS portal. 
• We recommended that spam folders are checked regularly as any PACFA email may be diverted there when first received.
• Current licensees will be emailed a link and enrollment information starting in 2022.
• For any facilities that wish to enroll their employees in the courses, please submit a request to the PACFA office and the employee will receive an email to the LMS site.
• Click here to fill out the request form.

Access to the PACFA LMS Portal and both the QE and CE courses will be free for all applicants/licensees and their staff members!

Yes! We encourage our licensed facilities and businesses to have their employees take our education courses as well. Employees are the front line and typically the face of your pet care business. Keeping your employees educated on the minimum standards requirements for the pet animals in their care will support your business to be in more compliance.

• To get your employee(s) enrolled in PACFA courses, click here to fill out the request form.
• Each employee will have their own individual account.
• LMS accounts may NOT be shared. Accounts are set up per individual ONLY.
• Please allow at least 2 weeks for the office to establish an account for your employee. Our licensees are our first priority, especially during renewal season.
• Once your employee’s account has been established, an email will be sent to the email provided on the form with the LMS link. Have your employee check their spam folder as it may be sent there.
• Your employee will then receive a separate email once they are enrolled in a course.
   

The QE course is required for brand new applicants.  

• Licensees that need to submit a new application for a business address change or adding a license category will not have to take the QE course again.  For example if a groomer moves their grooming business to a new location, they will only be required to submit a new application and will NOT be required to take the QE course again.
• If a facility’s licensee (also known as the Primary Business Contact) changes, this new applicant will need to take the QE course.
• Change of ownership: If the new business owner does not currently own and have a PACFA license for another business/location, then the new business owner will be required to take the QE course.
   

Please contact the office or your assigned inspector with any questions.  As soon as your course completion is verified by the office, you will be emailed your inspector’s contact information and pre-license inspection information.
 

No. There will be quiz questions throughout each module to ensure you understand the content.

Yes!  All licensees are required to take either the QE or CE course to establish a baseline of knowledge to help achieve greater understanding with the program rules, stay current with PACFA rule changes, establish a minimum baseline of knowledge and best practices, enhance pet animal health, safety and welfare, and to protect consumers who use pet-care-related services.
 

You will receive an email from the LMS site when you have completed your course.  The email will have your course completion certificate attached.  The email will provide you with instructions to email your course completion certificate to the PACFA office to verify your completion.  Once your course completion is verified you will receive an email from the office for the next steps in scheduling your pre-license inspection and contact information for your assigned inspector.

The following situations apply to changes to a PACFA license:

• All PACFA licenses are Non-Transferable. 
• The following changes must be submitted as a new application/fee through the new PACFA Licensing Portal: 
  • Change of ownership
  • Change of Business physical address
  • Change of Business entity type
  • Addition or subtraction of license category/operation type.
  • Primary Business Contact/Licensee: 
  • IC Groomer location changes: 
    • IC Groomers are licensed at their home address. If IC Groomers home address changes, a new application/fee will need to be submitted within 15 days of moving.