How to Report Lost or Found Livestock

If livestock stray onto your property and you are unable to locate the owner, post it our our platform as soon as possible. Contrary to popular belief, the law does not allow you to "keep" livestock if you can not locate the owner. After posting it, arrangements will be made to have the animal removed from your property. You may be reimbursed for "reasonable" feed expenses starting on the day you filed the report and continuing until the animal is removed. Additional expenses you may incur while the animal is in your possession, such as health care, worming, trimming of feet, etc. are not reimbursable. After the animal is removed, additional investigation will be done in an attempt to identify and locate the owner. This will include researching any brands the animal may have as well as ear tags, vaccination tags, etc. In addition, an advertisement will be placed in a newspaper located in the area the animal was found. If an individual comes forward to claim the animal, valid proof of ownership must be submitted before the animal is released. If no one claims the animal after a period of time has passed, it will be sold at public auction and the proceeds retained by the program for one year on behalf of the unknown owner.