Md. Code, Local Government § 1-1314
This is the official text of Md. Code, Local Government § 1-1314, part of Maryland’s Code, Local Government — governs the powers and operations of Maryland counties and municipalities.
Not legal advice. This page reproduces the official text of a government statute for reference only. Laws change, and how a statute applies depends on your specific facts. For advice about your situation, consult a licensed attorney in your state.
§1–1314.
Official statutory text
(a) This section applies to all counties and municipalities.
(b) (1) Within the first 12 months of employment, a new officer of a humane society or animal control shall satisfactorily complete at least 80 hours of training for animal care and control professionals that is approved by the appropriate unit of a county or municipality.
(2) The training shall include instruction on:
(i) animal cruelty investigations;
(ii) the association between animal abuse and the abuse of the elderly or domestic violence, as defined in § 4–701 of the Family Law Article;
(iii) the use of legal resources, including constitutional law, the Annotated Code of Maryland, and county codes;
(iv) lawful searches and seizures;
(v) professionalism and ethical standards;
(vi) evidence collection and the chain of custody;
(vii) preparation for civil and criminal proceedings, including basic trial principles and due process protections;
(viii) conflict resolution and officer safety, including physical and mental health; and
(ix) animal diseases and zoonosis.
(3) The unit of the county or municipality may require other training in addition to the training specified in paragraph (2) of this subsection.
(c) (1) An officer of a humane society or animal control shall satisfactorily complete at least 6 hours of continuing education approved by the appropriate unit of a county or municipality every year.
(2) The continuing education shall include instruction on the current laws applicable to officers.
(b) (1) Within the first 12 months of employment, a new officer of a humane society or animal control shall satisfactorily complete at least 80 hours of training for animal care and control professionals that is approved by the appropriate unit of a county or municipality.
(2) The training shall include instruction on:
(i) animal cruelty investigations;
(ii) the association between animal abuse and the abuse of the elderly or domestic violence, as defined in § 4–701 of the Family Law Article;
(iii) the use of legal resources, including constitutional law, the Annotated Code of Maryland, and county codes;
(iv) lawful searches and seizures;
(v) professionalism and ethical standards;
(vi) evidence collection and the chain of custody;
(vii) preparation for civil and criminal proceedings, including basic trial principles and due process protections;
(viii) conflict resolution and officer safety, including physical and mental health; and
(ix) animal diseases and zoonosis.
(3) The unit of the county or municipality may require other training in addition to the training specified in paragraph (2) of this subsection.
(c) (1) An officer of a humane society or animal control shall satisfactorily complete at least 6 hours of continuing education approved by the appropriate unit of a county or municipality every year.
(2) The continuing education shall include instruction on the current laws applicable to officers.
Status: in_force · Read it on the official government site
Need a lawyer in Maryland?
Find a Maryland lawyer
About this page: Statute text is reproduced from official government publishers via the
Open US Law dataset
(Vaquill AI, snapshot v2026.08, CC BY 4.0). Primary legislative text like this is public domain under the government-edicts doctrine
(Georgia v. Public.Resource.Org, 2020). We link every section back to its official source so you can verify it independently.