Louisiana Revised Statutes 3:3004 – Impounding livestock found at large upon highways
Terms Used In Louisiana Revised Statutes 3:3004
- Livestock: means cattle, buffalo, bison, oxen, and other bovine; horses, mules, donkeys, and other equine; sheep; goats; swine; domestic rabbits; fish, turtles, and other animals identified with aquaculture that are located in artificial reservoirs or enclosures that are both on privately owned property and constructed so as to prevent, at all times, the ingress and egress of fish life from public waters; imported exotic deer and antelope, elk, farm-raised white-tailed deer, farm-raised ratites, and other farm-raised exotic animals; chickens, turkeys, and other poultry; and animals placed under the jurisdiction of the commissioner of agriculture and forestry and any hybrid, mixture, or mutation or any such animal. See Louisiana Revised Statutes 3:3002
- Owner of livestock: means any person owning or having control of livestock. See Louisiana Revised Statutes 3:3002
- Person: means an individual or any legal or commercial entity, including a corporation, business trust, partnership, limited liability company, association, or joint venture. See Louisiana Revised Statutes 3:1
- Public highway: means any public way except those highways provided for in Louisiana Revised Statutes 3:3002
A. All sheriffs, deputy sheriffs, constables, and justices of the peace shall, and any other person may, take possession of and impound any livestock found at large upon any public highway of this state in any ward where livestock is presently prohibited from roaming at large or may hereafter be prohibited from roaming at large as hereinafter provided for. Any livestock so taken and impounded shall be impounded in the parish in which taken and when taken by a sheriff, deputy sheriff, constable, or justice of the peace, the owner thereof shall be notified personally or by leaving written notice at the place of his residence within twenty-four hours after taking possession of such livestock. Any person other than a sheriff, deputy sheriff, constable, or justice of the peace taking possession of and impounding livestock shall immediately notify the sheriff of the parish in which the livestock is taken and said sheriff shall, within twenty-four hours of such notification, notify the owner in the manner hereinabove provided.
B.(1) Except as provided in Paragraph (2) of this Subsection, the owner of livestock so taken shall have the right to secure his livestock upon the payment to the officer or person taking up the livestock of an impoundment fee of ten dollars for each head of livestock taken and a daily boarding fee of ten dollars for each animal.
(2) Except during a gubernatorially declared state of emergency, in Vermilion Parish, the owner of livestock so taken shall have the right to secure his livestock upon the payment to the officer or person taking up the livestock of an impoundment fee of one hundred dollars for the first head of livestock taken and twenty dollars for each head taken thereafter if the officer secures the livestock. He shall also pay to the person taking and impounding such livestock a daily boarding fee of ten dollars for each animal. During a gubernatorially declared state of emergency, the provisions of Paragraph (1) of this Subsection shall apply to Vermilion Parish.
Added by Acts 1958, No. 399, §1. Amended by Acts 1977, No. 503, §1, eff. July 13, 1977; Acts 1999, No. 1065, §1; Acts 2006, No. 756, §1; Acts 2019, No. 250, §1.