170.02 Finder to give notice; penalty.
(1) Every finder of a stray shall, within 7 days after finding the stray, notify the owner of the stray, if known to the finder, and request the owner to pay all reasonable charges and take the stray away. If the owner is unknown to the finder, the finder shall, within 10 days after finding the stray, file a notice with the town clerk, who shall transmit a copy to the county clerk.
(2) The finder of a stray shall publish notice, if the value of the stray exceeds $50, as a class 3 notice, under ch. 985, in the county. The notice shall contain all of the following:
(a) A brief description of the stray, giving its marks, natural or artificial, as near as practicable.
(b) The name and residence of the finder, specifying the section and town.
(c) The time when the stray was taken up.
(3) If the finder neglects or refuses to publish the notice required under sub. (2), the finder of the stray shall be liable in double the amount of damages sustained by the owner of the stray. If the finder neglects or refuses for one year to publish the notice required under sub. (2), the finder of the stray shall be liable for the full value of the stray, to be recovered by an action in the name of the town. The amount recovered shall be apportioned in the same manner as tax revenues collected by the town for schools under s. 60.33 (9) (d).
History: 1993 a. 482; 1997 a. 254.