Level 1: Professional Animal Cruelty Investigator - National Animal Cruelty Investigations School - University of Missouri Extension

Founded in 1990, the National Animal Cruelty Investigations School was the first of its kind, offering a combination of specialized veterinary and law enforcement training. Students from a range of backgrounds — including federal, state and local animal cruelty officers, humane society investigators and board members, police officers and sheriffs’ deputies, court personnel and other citizens — learn from experts about all aspects of animal welfare and safety.
The program has three different components (Professional-Advanced-Expert) that should be taken in order.
Registration preference will go to investigators with active investigations. Due to the nature of the business, topics discussed and videos shown during the schools will have graphic content and may not be suitable for everyone.
Continuing Education - Participants with a grade of 70% or more on the written examination will receive a certificate of completion and 40 continuing education units.

COST: $600.00 per person

Check payment can be made with the printable registration form.

Group discount and early bird registration discount cannot be combined.
Register 45 days in advance and receive 10% discount.
On the final payment page, enter the code in the Discount box and click Apply. Code: LETI-EB10%

Group Discount: Register three students at full price from one agency and all additional registrations receive 50% off full registration fee. Registrations must all be submitted together, and all registrants must attend to qualify.
Agency Discount: Any agency that mandates the National Animal Cruelty Investigations Training in their policies and procedures will receive a 20% discount. Contact (opens in new window)
573-882-6021 f or approval and discount code.

PetSmart Discount: A current employee with PetSmart can receive a discount on event registration. Contact (opens in new window)
573-882-6021 f or approval and discount code.

Professional Animal Cruelty Investigator curriculum includes:

Animal Law
Report Writing
Constitutional Law
Courtroom Preparation
Veterinarians and animal cruelty
Basic Nutrition
Basic Anatomy
Biosecurity and Zoonosis
Animal Handling and Behavior
Interviewing and Investigation
The professional investigator
Breed Identification
Basic Photography
Communications
Officer Safety & Survival

Register Here

Oxygen Mask First: Preventing Compassion Fatigue in Animal Welfare & Enforcement

Date: Wednesday, Oct. 21st
Time: 10:00am - 2:00pm
Cost: $35.00 - lunch included

This training explores compassion fatigue as an occupational hazard for helping professionals and reframes self-care as an ethical and clinical responsibility—not a luxury. Using the familiar airplane oxygen-mask metaphor, participants will examine why attending to their own emotional, physical, and cognitive well-being is essential to sustaining effective care for others.
Participants will learn to identify the early warning signs of compassion fatigue, burnout, and secondary traumatic stress, and understand how these conditions impact clinical judgment, boundaries, and overall effectiveness. The training will offer practical, realistic strategies for “putting your oxygen mask on first,” including boundary-setting, workload awareness, nervous system regulation, and values-based self-care that can be implemented in real-world settings.

This training is designed to be practical, reflective, and validating—acknowledging the demands of the work while empowering clinicians and helping professionals to remain present, effective, and sustainable in their roles.

Featuring Kim Morrill
Kim Morrill, LCSW-C, has been a practicing therapist since 1996 and a board-approved clinical supervisor since 1999. She currently serves as the CEO of Aspire Wellness Center, a large outpatient mental health practice comprised of 45 therapists and 12 medication management providers. Throughout her career, Kim has worked across a wide range of settings, including residential treatment, foster care, and school-based mental health services, giving her a deep and practical understanding of complex clinical systems and real-world challenges.

In addition to her professional roles, Kim is the proud parent of two “barely adult” daughters currently in college. Outside of work, she is a former rugby and lacrosse player and now channels that same competitive energy into conquering the pickleball courts.

Register Here

Questions can be directed to our office at .