Unlawful disposition of animal consists of:

A. skinning or removing without the permission of the owner any part of the hide of any neat cattle found dead;

B. abandoning any livestock without giving reasonable notice to the owner, where the livestock has been entrusted by the owner to such person for the herding, care or safekeeping upon a contract for a valuable consideration;

C. taking any livestock for use or work, without the consent of the owner;

D. driving or leading any animal being the property of another from its usual range, without the consent of the owner;

E. contracting, selling or otherwise disposing of any animal, which a person has in his possession or under his control on shares or under contract, without the consent of the owner of such animal; or

F. knowingly buying, taking or receiving from any person having in his possession, or under his control, any animal on shares or under contract, without the consent of the owner of such animal.

Whoever commits unlawful disposition of animal is guilty of a misdemeanor.

History: 1953 Comp., § 40A-18-4, enacted by Laws 1963, ch. 303, § 18-4.

Cross references. — For notification of intention to slaughter cattle, see 7-23-1, 7-23-2 NMSA 1978.

For description of bovine animal in indictment, see 31-7-1 NMSA 1978.

Former law not violative of equal protection. — Classification in former law providing for the punishment of all persons who skin or remove the hide from the carcass of neat cattle found dead without the permission of the owner, but exempting all employees of railroad companies so doing when the animal was killed by the railroad company, was entirely constitutional. State v. Thompson, 1953-NMSC-072, 57 N.M. 459, 260 P.2d 370 (decided under prior law).

Am. Jur. 2d, A.L.R. and C.J.S. references. — 3A C.J.S. Animals §§ 119, 120.