16.24.180 - Castration or gelding of stock at large.

Castration or gelding of stock at large.

It shall be lawful for any person having cows or heifers running at large in this state to take up or capture and castrate, at the risk of the owner, at any time between the first day of March and the fifteenth day of May, any bull above the age of ten months found running at large out of the enclosed grounds of the owner or keeper. It shall be lawful for any person to take up or capture and geld, at the risk of the owner, between April 1 and September 30 of any year, any stud horse or jackass or any male mule above the age of eighteen months found running at large out of the enclosed grounds of the owner or keeper. If the said animal shall die, as a result of such castration, the owner shall have no recourse against the person who shall have taken up or captured and castrated, or caused to be castrated, the said animal: PROVIDED, Such act of castration shall have been skillfully done by a person accustomed to doing the same: AND PROVIDED FURTHER, That if the person so taking up or capturing such animal, or causing it to be so taken up or captured, shall know the owner or keeper of such animal, and shall know that said animal is being kept for breeding purposes, it shall be his duty forthwith to notify such owner or keeper of the taking up of said animal, and if such owner or keeper shall not within two days after being so notified pay for the reasonable costs of keeping of said animal, and take and safely keep said animal thereafter within his own enclosures, then it shall be lawful for the taker-up of said animal to castrate the same, and the owner thereof shall pay a reasonable sum for such act of castration, if done skillfully, as hereinbefore required, and shall also pay for the keeping of said animal as above provided, and the amount for which he may be liable therefor may be recovered in an action at law in any court having jurisdiction thereof: AND PROVIDED FURTHER, That if said animal should be found running at large a third time within the same year, and within the prohibited dates hereinbefore mentioned, it shall be lawful for any person to capture and castrate the animal without giving any notice to the owner or keeper whatever. For purposes of this section, geld and castrate shall have the same meaning.

[1989 c 286 § 15; 1965 c 66 § 4; 1890 p 453 § 1; RRS § 3081. Formerly RCW 16.20.010.]

Notes: Severability -- 1989 c 286: See note following RCW 16.04.010.