Taking Up and Disposition of Animals Running at Large on State and Federal Aid Highways.

Ala. Code tit. 3, ch. 2, art. 2

in effect

Ala. Code § 3-2-20 Duty of Director of Public Safety.

3-2-20. Duty of Director of Public Safety. The Director of Public Safety shall provide for taking up and impounding livestock or animals running at large upon state and federal aid highways which have been officially designated as such and regularly and customarily patrolled by the state highway patrol or upon the rights-of-way of such highways and, to that end, within the limit of the funds provided by this article, the Director of Public Safety is hereby authorized and empowered to contract with persons, firms or corporations within the several counties to take possession of and impound such livestock or animals. (Acts 1951, No. 822, p. 1454, §1.)

Ala. Code § 3-2-21 Notification of Owner of Animal Taken Up and Impounded; Filing of Notice with Probate Judge Where Owner Cannot Be Located; Procedure for Recovery of Animal by Owner.

3-2-21. Notification of Owner of Animal Taken Up and Impounded; Filing of Notice with Probate Judge Where Owner Cannot Be Located; Procedure for Recovery of Animal by Owner. (a) The owner of any livestock taken up and impounded as provided in Section 3-2-20, if known, shall be served personally with notice thereof, which notice shall specify the number and kind of livestock or animals impounded. If the owner of any livestock or animal taken up is unknown or cannot be located, the officer or person taking up the livestock or animal shall, within two days after so taking it up, file a notice in writing with the judge of probate of the county where the livestock or animals were estray. The judge of probate shall record such notice in a book showing a description of the animal and the place where picked up and the date and, for such service, shall be entitled to charge a fee of not exceeding $.50 to be collected from the impounder. (b) The owner of such livestock or animals shall have the right to secure the return thereof, within 10 days from the date of the notice provided for in subsection (a) of this section, upon the payment of a fee of $10.00 for the first and $1.00 for each additional head of livestock so taken up, not to exceed $100.00 for any one seizure regardless of the number of animals seized, together with the actual cost of feeding the same during the period held, and the probate recording fee. (Acts 1951, No. 822, p. 1454, §2.)

Ala. Code § 3-2-22 Sale of Animals Taken Up and Impounded.

3-2-22. Sale of Animals Taken Up and Impounded. If the owner or his agent shall not reclaim his livestock or animal within the time allowed in this article, the poundkeeper or officer shall sell the same upon giving five days’ notice of such sale by publication one time in a newspaper published in the county, said notice to contain a brief description of the livestock or animal to be sold and the time and place of sale, and out of the proceeds he shall pay the cost and expenses of taking up, keeping and caring for such livestock or animal, the cost of the sale and the fees provided for in Sections 3-2-20 through 3-2-23 and the balance, if any, shall be paid to the owner, if known. In the event no newspaper is published in the county, a copy of the notice of the sale shall be posted in at least three public places in the vicinity where the livestock was taken up. All such sales shall be conducted in the county where the livestock was taken up and impounded. (Acts 1951, No. 822, p. 1454, §3.)

Ala. Code § 3-2-23 Disposition of Fees Collected Under Article.

3-2-23. Disposition of Fees Collected Under Article. All fees collected under the provisions of this article shall be paid to the State Treasurer and be credited to the account of a special fund to be expended in furtherance of the purposes of this article. (Acts 1951, No. 822, p. 1454, §4.)

Source: Alabama Legislature (alison.legislature.state.al.us)URL: https://alison.legislature.state.al.us/code-of-alabamaFetched: 10/20/2026