779.49 Lien of owner of breeding animal or methods.

(1)

(a) Except as provided in par. (b), every owner of a stallion, jackass or bull, or semen from a stallion, jackass or bull, kept and used for breeding purposes shall have a lien upon any dam served and upon any offspring gotten by the animal, or by means of artificial insemination for the sum stipulated to be paid for the service of the dam. The owner of the stallion, jackass or bull, used to service, or semen used to artificially inseminate, the dam may seize and take possession of the dam and offspring or either without process at any time before the offspring is one year old, in case the price agreed upon for the service remains unpaid, and sell the offspring at public auction. The sale of the offspring shall be upon 10 days' notice, to be posted in at least 3 public places in the town where the service was rendered. The proceeds of the sale shall be applied to the payment of the amount due for the service and the expenses of the seizure and sale. The residue, if any, shall be returned to the party entitled to it.

(b) No lien given under this subsection shall be effective for any purpose against an innocent purchaser or mortgagee of the offspring or the dam of the offspring for value unless the owner having a claim for the service records with the register of deeds of the county where the owner of the dam served resides a statement showing that the service has been rendered and the amount due for the service.

(2) Any person who sells, disposes of or gives a mortgage upon any dam which to the person's knowledge has been served by a stallion, jackass or bull, or artificially inseminated with semen owned by another, the fee for which has not been paid, and who has not given written information to the purchaser or mortgagee of the fact of the service or artificial insemination, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and upon conviction shall be fined not more than $10 or imprisoned for not more than 60 days.

History: 1979 c. 32 s. 57; 1979 c. 176; Stats. 1979 s. 779.49; 1993 a. 301; 1997 a. 254.