Students

About the Animal Abuse Prevention Class

The Benchmark Animal Rehabilitative Curriculum (B.A.R.C.) is an online animal cruelty and prevention program that is designed to fulfill required completion of humane education classes as mandated or ordered by either a member of the criminal justice system (judge, prosecutor, defense attorney, or probation officer), an animal control professional, a social services agency, an educational institution, or a mental health professional. B.A.R.C. can also be incorporated as part of a diversionary or pre-filing plan. B.A.R.C. was developed, and is administered by, a non-profit organization. 

B.A.R.C. is an informative and engaging course that uses video, images, articles, and text in a dynamic online format to create a positive and enjoyable learning experience. For a brief introduction to the course, watch the Student Introduction Video below.

There are several requirements for taking and enrolling in the B.A.R.C. course, so be sure to read the section below on Getting Started: What You’ll Need, before deciding if B.A.R.C. is the right course for you. You can also learn more specifics about the course in the Course Features section.

Student Introduction Video
Enroll in the Animal Abuse Class: What You’ll Need
  • EMAIL ADDRESS NEEDED TO ENROLL IN THE ANIMAL ABUSE CLASS:

    You must have a valid and working email address, and access to that email, in order to be referred to, enroll in, and take the B.A.R.C. animal abuse prevention course. You must provide your email address to the referring agency that will be referring you to the course. Your email address must remain active until the course is completed. All written communications with you will be by email only.

  • APPROVED REFERRAL:

    You can only take the course if you are an adult or juvenile (age 15-17), and a referring agency has submitted a fully completed referral form for you. After a referral form has been submitted, B.A.R.C. administration must approve the referral before you can enroll. If the referral is approved, you will be notified by email within 2 business days of receipt of the completed referral form. If not approved, the referring agency contact will be notified by email within 2 business days of receipt of the completed referral form.

  • ENROLLMENT PROCESS:

    If the referral form submitted by your referring agency is approved, we will send you an email to the email address provided by the referring agency. The email will have enrollment instructions with your username and password. To enroll, you will go to the Student Enrollment page, where you must enroll with the same username and password provided in the email. You will have the opportunity to select a new password after you enroll for the first time. Once you have successfully enrolled, you can access the course from the Student Login page.

  • ENROLLMENT FEE:

    The fee for the course is $199. You must pay the total fee when you enroll. You will have the option of paying with a debit card, credit card, or PayPal account. You must complete the course within 6 months of enrollment. If needed, you may apply for a 2-month extension for an additional $75. Once you have enrolled in and paid for the course, you will not be eligible to receive a refund; all payments are final.

  • COMPUTER REQUIREMENTS:

    To take and enroll in the animal abuse class, you will need a desktop computer or a laptop PC or MAC computer; the course cannot be taken with a phone or tablet. The computer must have a high speed Internet connection (1Mbps or higher). When you log in and take the course, you must always use the latest version of Google Chrome Browser. If you do not have the Chrome browser on your computer, you can download it for free HERE.

  • WEBCAM:

    Facial recognition technology is used to authenticate your identity and monitor your participation during the course. The computer you use to take the course must have a 4-megapixel or better webcam (integrated or external) attached. If you need a webcam, you will have the option to purchase one during enrollment at a cost of $25 for PC-version webcams and $45 for Mac-compatible webcams. The webcam will be shipped within 1-2 business days from receipt of your order via 2 to 3 day priority mail. You will not be able to start the course until a working webcam is attached to your computer. More information about the facial recognition technology is in the Course Features section.

  • CONSENT TO RELEASE CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION:

    During enrollment, you will be required to consent and agree to the release of verbal and written communication between B.A.R.C. administration and your referring agency so that we can share course-related information with the agency, including but not limited to enrollment, progress, identity authentication results, and successful or unsuccessful completion of the course.

    Course Features
    • IDENTITY AUTHENTICATION WITH FACIAL RECOGNITION TECHNOLOGY:

      B.A.R.C. uses eProktor, an advanced facial recognition technology that works with your webcam to automatically authenticate your identity when you log in to the course, take a quiz or the final exam, and throughout the course to monitor your ongoing participation. This facial recognition technology ensures that the person taking the course is the same person who was referred to the course and that the referred student actively participates in and completes the entire course.

      After you enroll in the animal abuse class, upon initial log in, the program will create your online digital ID through an array of photo captures. The program will authenticate your identity throughout the course by comparing photos of the person taking the course to your online digital ID. If someone else takes the course with your login information or you are not actively participating throughout the entire course, you will receive a failed authentication. Failed authentications could result in you being terminated from the course without receiving a Certificate of Completion. Failed authentications will be reviewed by B.A.R.C. administration. If the decision is made to terminate you from the course, both you and the referring agency who referred you to the course will be notified by email. You will have the opportunity to appeal any termination decision.

      You must always log in and take the course using the latest version of the Google Chrome Browser; if you do not use this browser, the program may not work correctly and you could fail authentication. To learn more about the facial recognition technology, watch the eProktor video.

        Student Introduction Video
        • POSITIVE LEARNING EXPERIENCE:

          B.A.R.C. is an informative and engaging course that uses video, images, articles, and text in a dynamic online format to create an enriching and enjoyable learning environment. The B.A.R.C. learning experience is aimed at increasing the learning and retention of course content, as well as inspiring you to develop favorable and lasting attitudinal and behavioral changes. For a list of the main subjects covered in the course, visit the Course Topics page.

        • 24/7 ONLINE ACCESS:

          The B.A.R.C. course is taken completely online and is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. After you have enrolled, you can log in to take the course at any time on the Student Login page. You may work at your own pace and your progress will be saved as you progress. You must, however, complete the course within 6 months of enrollment.  One 2-month extension is available for an additional fee of $75. 

        • ​COURSE LENGTH:

          The B.A.R.C. course has 16 classes and, on average, takes 8 to 10 total hours to complete. However, the actual time to complete may vary depending on your reading speed because a significant amount of the course includes reading assignments.

        • PROOF OF ENROLLMENT, PROGRESS REPORTS, AND CERTIFICATE OF COMPLETION:

          After enrolling in the B.A.R.C. course, you will be sent an email that will serve as proof of enrollment. You will also be able to download Progress Reports throughout the course that will show how much of the course you have completed. After successfully completing the course and passing the final exam, you will be able to download a Certificate of Completion. The Progress Reports and Certificate of Completion will have a photo of you taken by the facial recognition program using your webcam.

        • QUIZZES AND FINAL EXAM:

          You will be given quizzes throughout the course. You must pass each quiz in order to move forward to the next section. You will also be required to pass a final exam with an 80% grade in order to receive a Certificate of Completion. If you do not pass the final exam after 3 attempts, you must retake and successfully complete the entire course before you will be given another chance to retake and pass the final exam. The quizzes and final exam should be easy to pass if you have actively paid attention and participated in all sections of the course.

        • TECHNICAL SUPPORT:

          You will have access to technical support via phone or email, Monday through Friday, during the hours of 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. PT (excluding all bank recognized holidays). Requests for support received during non-business hours will receive a response within 8 hours the next business day. You can also go to the Technical Support page for answers to frequently asked technical support and computer-related questions.

        • FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:

          If you still have questions about the B.A.R.C. animal abuse prevention course that are not related to technical or computer issues, go to the Help! How do I…? page to find answers to other frequently asked questions.