§ 3-1373 — Report of seizure; filing and docketing

A. Livestock officers shall forthwith report any seizure of livestock pursuant to this article to the county attorney and to the clerk of the superior court in the county where the stock was seized or to an available justice of the peace of the county where the stock was seized whose office is nearest the place of seizure.

B. The report shall:

1. Give a general description of the livestock seized and the brands, if any, together with the place of and reason for the seizure and the probable value of the livestock.

2. Request that the owner and claimant be summoned to appear and prove ownership.

C. The clerk of the court or the justice of the peace shall:

1. Consider the report to be a petition.

2. File and docket it as a civil action by the state in its name and against the reputed owners of the livestock, if known, and if not known, against the unknown owners.