{"data":{"id":"us-md/md.-code-local-government-1-1314","jurisdiction":"us-md","citation":"Md. Code, Local Government § 1–1314","heading":"","body":"(a) This section applies to all counties and municipalities.\n(b) (1) Within the first 12 months of employment, a new officer of a\nhumane society or animal control shall satisfactorily complete at least 80 hours of\ntraining for animal care and control professionals that is approved by the appropriate\nunit of a county or municipality.\n(2) The training shall include instruction on:\n(i) animal cruelty investigations;\n(ii) the association between animal abuse and the abuse of the\nelderly or domestic violence, as defined in § 4–701 of the Family Law Article;\n(iii) the use of legal resources, including constitutional law, the\nAnnotated Code of Maryland, and county codes;\n(iv) lawful searches and seizures;\n(v) professionalism and ethical standards;\n(vi) evidence collection and the chain of custody;\n(vii) preparation for civil and criminal proceedings, including\nbasic trial principles and due process protections;\n(viii) conflict resolution and officer safety, including physical\nand mental health; and\n(ix) animal diseases and zoonosis.\n(3) The unit of the county or municipality may require other training\nin addition to the training specified in paragraph (2) of this subsection.\n(c) (1) An officer of a humane society or animal control shall\nsatisfactorily complete at least 6 hours of continuing education approved by the\nappropriate unit of a county or municipality every year.\n(2) The continuing education shall include instruction on the current\nlaws applicable to officers.","path":["Article - Local Government"],"source_url":"https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/mgawebsite/Laws/StatuteText?article=glg\u0026section=1-1314","current_through":"2026-01-01","vintage":"","retrieved_at":"2026-09-14T19:59:58Z","sha256":"89ed7653878545d6c8b51e9507b8ffbd803a83b2dfdd2c1fc0fdf3daab08532e","source_id":"us-md","stale":false,"prev":"us-md/md.-code-local-government-1-1312","next":"us-md/md.-code-local-government-1-1315"},"notice":"GroundRules: Original legal text. Not legal advice."}