Mississippi Code 1972 (2023) › Title 69 - AGRICULTURE, HORTICULTURE, AND ANIMALS (§§ 69-1-1 — 69-55-9) › Chapter 13 - STOCK LAWS, ESTRAYS (§§ 69-13-1 — 69-13-339) › Article 7 - ESTRAYS (§§ 69-13-301 — 69-13-339) › Section 69-13-339 - Impounding of livestock illegally roaming on state military reservation; lien; sale of unclaimed animals

(1)
The Mississippi Military Department, acting through the training site supervisor at Camp Shelby, is hereby authorized and empowered to take up and impound in a proper enclosure all livestock found roaming at large upon any state-owned or leased lands comprising the state military reservation in Forrest and contiguous counties, in violation of the statewide stock law statutes.
(2)
The training site supervisor shall provide a safe and secure enclosure in which such livestock shall be impounded, and will insure that such animals are cared for in a humane manner until removed for such enclosure as hereinafter provided. It shall be unlawful for any owner of livestock or any other person to remove such livestock without the authority of the training site supervisor, and such offense shall be deemed a misdemeanor.
(3)
There is hereby created a statutory lien in the amount of the cost of impounding each animal, not to exceed Twenty-five Dollars ($25.00), against each head of cattle, horse or mule, and all other livestock so found upon and impounded upon the state military reservation; and in addition a lien of One Dollar and Fifty Cents ($1.50) per day shall accrue for the feeding and care of each animal so impounded. No animal shall be removed by its owner until the full lien is paid in cash to the training site supervisor, who shall give a receipt for such money paid and account for the same in the manner to be established by the military department. All funds collected under this section shall be forwarded to the adjutant general on or before the fifth day of each month, and such funds shall be expended under his supervision in carrying out the provisions of this section and in making improvements to the military reservation.
(4)
The training site supervisor shall publish a monthly notice in one (1) newspaper having general circulation in Forrest County, the general description of the livestock impounded and held on the end of the preceding month, and said notice shall offer the lawful owners the opportunity to claim their livestock by a day and hour certain, but not less than ten (10) days, after paying the full statutory lien imposed. All animals not claimed by the designated date and hour may be sold as a herd to the highest bidder for cash within ten (10) days and a proper receipt shall be given the purchaser and the funds accounted for as provided for in the preceding subsection.
(5)
This section is declared to be remedial legislation and is enacted for the purposes of protecting the personal and real property of the state military reservation known as Camp Shelby from livestock illegally thereon, and enhancing the safety of members of the National Guard and other reserve military forces of Mississippi and other states which train and conduct military exercises and maneuvers on said lands; and neither the training site supervisor, nor any other public employee, shall be liable in any civil or criminal court in carrying out the provisions of this section. The purchasers of livestock under the provisions of this section shall receive a valid title, and such purchaser shall not be liable in a civil or criminal court to any person for any purchase made under this section.
Codes, 1942, § 4895.5; Laws, 1968, ch. 485; Laws, 1981, ch. 319, § 1, eff. 7/1/1981.