To advance overall pet animal health, safety and welfare, the Pet Animal Care and Facilities Act (PACFA) Program has launched the new Qualifying (QE) and Continuing Education (CE) program. Starting today, as a condition for licensure, all new PACFA applicants will be required to take the Qualifying Education Course and current licensees will be required to take a continuing education course once every two years. While these courses are a requirement for licensure, they will be free for PACFA licensees and their staff.
“With the rollout of this new education program, PACFA and the state of Colorado will continue our tradition as leaders in advancing regulations that enhance the health, safety and welfare of pets,” said Nick Fisher, program section chief for PACFA. “The people of Colorado care deeply about their pets and should have a reasonable expectation that the facility they entrust to purchase or adopt their next pet or provide pet related services have a basic understanding of the regulations for animal health, safety, and care. By requiring PACFA licensees to complete education courses that cover standards of care and regulation, licensed facilities will have a baseline of knowledge and care that will improve pet animal welfare across Colorado.”
All licensees will need to complete a 4-module online training course that was designed by subject matter experts for the industry. The course provides a comprehensive overview of basic information needed to successfully operate a PACFA-licensed facility; including an overview of PACFA regulations, cleaning, sanitation, animal and veterinary care, and importation and transportation standards.
Starting in the 2023/2024 renewal period, current PACFA licensees will be required to complete the CE course as their first QE course. The renewing applicants will be split into two groups. Half the licensees can take the course in 2023 and the other half in 2024. The dates will be assigned to individual licensees in early 2022.
The CE course will be updated every other year and will cover any changes or topics relevant to PACFA statutes and rules, non-compliance trends, and best practices for pet care facilities that promote pet health and safety.
More information about the program can be found at ag.colorado.gov/pacfa.