(a) Any person owning or having in his possession or charge any livestock or domesticated buffalo which breaches into any lawful enclosure belonging to someone other than the owner of the animal, is liable to the party sustaining the injury for all damages sustained by reason of such breaching. Damages may be recovered in a civil action before any court having jurisdiction, or by arbitration, each party to select a property holder and the two (2) arbitrators to select a third. The arbitrators shall be sworn before a judge of a circuit court before entering upon their duties. The arbitrators shall carefully examine the fence and assess the damage done, examine witnesses under oath, one (1) of them to administer the oath to the witnesses, and make a written report signed by at least two (2) of the arbitrators, to the circuit court in the county in which the damage is sustained. The finding of the arbitration, as provided for in this section, shall within three (3) days after rendered, be filed with a judge of a circuit court in the county where the trespass was committed, who shall enter the cost upon his docket and proceed to issue execution therein as in other cases originally commenced before him.
(b) The party sustaining the damage shall notify the owner or person having in charge the offending animals, of the damage and the probable amount if he knows to whom the animals belong and if the owner or keeper resides within the county where the damage was committed.
(c) The person suffering damage may restrain and keep in custody as many of the offending animals as are equal in value to the damage done, until the finding of the court or arbitration is ascertained, unless before suit the amount of his claim and expense of keeping the animals is tendered to him.
(d) If, upon trial of any action under subsection (a) of this section, it appears the plaintiff's enclosure is a lawful fence, he shall be allowed to prove the amount of damage sustained and if he has retained in custody the animals committing the damage, the amount of expense incurred for keeping the animals. Any judgment rendered for damages, costs and expenses against the defendant shall be a lien upon the animals committing the damage. If it appears upon trial that the plaintiff's enclosure is not a lawful fence or that no damage was sustained, judgment shall be rendered against the plaintiff for costs of suit and damages sustained by defendant.
(e) If upon trial it appears the defendant is not the owner or person in charge of the offending animals, he shall be discharged from the action with his costs, and the suit may proceed against a defendant whose name is unknown. If, at the commencement of the action, the plaintiff does not know the name of the owner or keeper of the offending animals, he may bring suit against a defendant unknown.
