OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS 

AUSTIN 

Xr. J. F. Bryan 

County r:.ttoIney 

Bmzorie County 

An&1etor!, Texas 

kfarch 31, 1939 

attar to 8lwPiff sohnsoa 

whether or not eizsoe 

oted In tw.s oounty ywl 

to IupOutxd oattle in the 

here are no feness along the hlghoad; that is, the landowner's property Is not fenoed off I’POJJI tha highway and 

there fe nothing to keep his oattle irem going 

from hia land on to the highway. 

-YQU want to know if, when ial suoh a *aEm 
Mr. J. F. Bryan, Maroh 31, 1939, Page 2 

able 

where the ownur IS not having his oattle 

herded but the cattle are not on the highway, tbat you could go on the owner's land 

and Impound the cattle. It is my opinion 

that you oould not do this." 

'He alsh to express our appreolatlon for the 

brief whicti you submitted to ua. This exoallent 

brief has aided us greatly In passing upon this quegtion. 

Artlolc 6965, Revised Civil Statutes of Tezae reada am 

rollows : 

?‘fi. any stook %arbi.ddoa to ‘mm a$ -Jaraball antei.~.ths inoloH6 landr;‘or &all, 

without being herded,.~fobi'aboutt"the'reslUsnoo, 

lots or oultitated lkixide~of any persuii other 

tha# the owuer of sluh #took wlthout his eonml6, in-any oouaty OP embalt~alon In WhiOh 

the p~ovlolone of thl8 ohaptar harQ bsooae 

operet2re in tha auumr .prorided, In this ol+ptar, the owner, laseoo, or pereon in lawful 

poeassslon of suoh l8nds nay islpetmd mob 

atook and detain the 8am until his fee8 and 

all damages woasionod by Bald 8toek’~ pdd 

to bimr provided that a0 aalma shall be 
Xr.. J. ? . Eryan , Xaroh 31, 1939, Page 3 

impounded except as provided in the preoedIng article, unless they have entered upon 

the inclosed lands CT be found roaming about 

the resldcnoe, lots or clrltlreted lhnd of 

n1:other, bmi, whenever any stock Is impounded, notice thereof shall be given to the 

owner, If lzown, and such owner shell be 

entitled to thefr postx9f5slcm upon payment or 

reeseand damages." ." 

Artlols 6938.3e~loqd 01~5.1 Statutes of Tsxas, 

mad8 as iollowst 

.wIf iany &ok .X?rbIdd&'to~run at Lar* 

shall enter the lnolomed lands, or shall 

without being h6rd6d;rwa &out the rs& 

danoe, lots or oultlvats&Land.~of sny parson, 

other -&art the owner.oi.auoh,tt&ok rithoub ' 

.hIa oonssnt, In anf ootsity~~or;%iEdi~~~io%:~ 

In whloh the provIsIons.irl fhis rubdI~aIo@ 

ha- beoime operatIM In thq.miuner provldd 

In the prsaediry artlolss, the ounsr, &msoa. 

or persoa'~In l6wfQl ~posm8aslon of soah haar: 

sky Impound said stosk.and,ds%aIn the s&i6 

until hIti ises and all dimages.~ooaslonsd~~b$~ 

aaid stbok.ars paId~.to.Umi ~~o.anlmal8~WaZl 

bit Impouaaea uQless alo li6v6 entema .ttpon ~. L.' : 

q!& ~the inalossd land8‘~ i $l .be fouql awmI~ 

ibout the rssidenoe, O'i, Or ultlvatmd: '. . . 

land of doother; a&d wainsvsr any~stosk~$8 : 

is&sounded notlde thereiN shaX1 at onoe bs ..~ 

.glvento the ownsr. if Snam, and snoli~:omsr 

shall bs sntitled to,$he$r pqs8e8s~o% opbll 

p6)msn.t of. r688 6na .mgw.* ~.:. 

Art1016 1369, Penal cod& of Tszas, ,x6668 am 

tollow6t 

"Wboe~e~ ~shall rilfully turn out or 1 

oausa to bs'turned out on land not his own 

or and& his oontrol ok rilfully fa'll or r8- 

rums to keep up any stook, prohibited by law 

rroq running at largs In any,oouaty or riub- 

~XlvIsIon of any oounty in whioh the atoak. 
3dr. J. Y. Eryen, J.Xarch 31, 1939, Page 4 

lsw !~a bv:.n adcgted, or wilfully allow Such 

stcok tc trespass upon the land of another 

in suoi: count:: or subdivision thereof, or 

wilfullg permit tc run at large any stook 

of his own, or of which he is the agent or 

or which he hss the aontrol, and not permitted to run at large In any county or aubdivision of any county In which the atook 

law has been adcpted, shall be fined not 

less than five nor more than fiity dollars.* 

Artiole 1370, Psnal Oode of Texas re,ads 

f0llCWSt 

Wh&+ar 8ballkno&ly'pirmlt any hersea, males, jacks, .jqm$ts, ana oattle to . 

'km at.&arge in any territqry.in this State. !, 

whw-4 *Ita plvvisions~.~ t&e lrlre or thti 

_ 

State bqa been adopted. prohlbltine arty er . 

suahaalmals fro~~ruan%n&atlarige sh&ll.ba ~. 

tine4 not less than,five .nor more than two. - 

huMFed ,$ollars.* . . : . ..y.. 

T&e Ju.rita~~dei&, Vd. 59, +z& 2369;~&~..‘8S . 

read8 as followat 

'In ti, territory in w&h the .X& Ms. 

bean’.duly adopted, th@lsnQ owner 1s ,gu,l.lty ', 

oi no fault or negll(pmom in foiling te%enao 

l gdhst the animals wh$eh are ftirblb&en .to : 

roam ths:oounty at will. The ounerd~of auoh 

sh&jc must'keesp the ssme oonflnad at their.. 

pefll;~ dlss they will be held liable to aaoount for. the damages ti,lah w~ba ~lnflloted 

on ~thelr neighbors by .suoh anlmale.* .I 

follollst 

lZi&@*se La*, page 1146, reaae .ls part a8 

The Right of the State to kaaet.1e@211;A ")I', 

. 
Er. J. P. Bryan, Harch 31, 1939, Page 5 

latlon prohibiting animals from running at 

large and providing for the teEin up and 

impcundlng thereof when so fount, Is unquestionably a legitimate exerciac of the poliae 

power desll;ned to proteot the public at large 

in the use and enjoyment of the publia streets." 

Corpus Jur?s, Vol. 3, pago El, Lea. 61.2, 

reads as follows: 

%I animal cm. the land or it8 owner or 

on the land of another:, w&at-her with or without the nuimsLon'eS the lattar 1.s not at 

-49 lx ass the statutti so provldea.*~ 

Oorpw Jurl~Seoumlum, Val. J,pagelesB, nag8 

l i011ows:: : 

nAnlh~ on the laid of their orme* am3 

not at. large.- 

Corpus Jtirlm, Vol. 3, page 186, Sea.-653, 

reads in. part au follows: 

the atatut?tw 

Thenwrore, y0.q .ars'rsspeotfully advfsa$ that 

it is the .~plnlon of .tbls De#artment that err long ar 

atook re~inad on the owner's own property, theWwould 

not be running at large, .nor would the .sherlfS then 

hare the.rfght to ,$.mpound then, nor would the 'qor then 

be guilty of orimlnal violation of the stoak lnws. 

WJFtAW