Owners of livestock infected with any contagious or infectious disease, whose animals are destroyed by authority of the board of animal health shall receive compensation from the state in accordance with the following provisions:

Before authorizing the destruction of such diseased animals, they shall be appraised by a duly commissioned representative of the board of animal health of the State of Mississippi or a cooperating representative of the U. S. Department of Agriculture, Bureau of Animal Industry, duly commissioned by said board of animal health. If the owner shall refuse to accept such appraisal, the animals shall be appraised (under oath) by three competent and disinterested appraisers; one to be selected by the duly commissioned representative of the board of animal health or of the U. S. Department of Agriculture, Bureau of Animal Industry duly commissioned by said board of animal health, one by the owner, and those two to select a third; the appraisal to be based upon the value of the animals at the time the animals are condemned for destruction; and, provided, further, that the state to pay not to exceed one-third of the difference between the appraised value of each animal so destroyed and the value of the salvage thereof, when any portion of said appraised value is paid by the U. S. Department of Agriculture, and not more than two-thirds thereof in the event no portion is paid by said U. S. Department of Agriculture. In no event shall the state be liable on an appraised value exceeding $25.00 per head for grade cattle and $50.00 per head for registered purebred cattle.

Upon receipt of a duly certified copy of the appraisal of the stock condemned to be destroyed, and a certificate from the board of animal health that the condemned stock has been destroyed in accordance with the rules and regulations of said board, a requisition shall be issued, signed by the executive officer and the chairman of the state board of animal health, authorizing the state auditor to issue a warrant for the amount stipulated out of funds in the state treasury especially appropriated for that purpose.