Cattle Quiz: Can You Keep a Stray Cow You Found in Texas?

Finding stray cats and dogs can often lead to lifetime companionships, but what happens when the four-legged critter is less cute and fluffy and more large and smelly. That's right, what happens when you find a stray cow in the Lone Star State? Well, before you fire up the grill (cruel), let's go over what Texas law has to say.

Got the Hooves like Jagger

We know that hitting a stray cow on the road can land ranchers in hot water with thousands of dollars in fines, assuming the cattle was improperly fenced in.

But, Texas has something called Discovery of Estrays built into the Agriculture Code. This is set to provide citizens with the steps of what to do and who to contact when they run into a stray, four-legged walking ribeye.

What are Discoveries of Estrays?

The fine lines can vary depending on the county, but typically, a cow or other member of cattle is classified as "estray" if they are seen without their herd roaming private or public property.

Whether this is the owner of a nearby farm or the caretaker of the local city park, the first step is to call your county sheriff and report the presence of an estray.

Stray Cows Can be Dangerous... and That's no Bull!

Similar to a stray cat or dog, the sheriff will then attempt to reach the owner of the wandering cattle to inform them that they lost their prize 'Betsy.'

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Here's the catch, if the roaming cow is considered dangerous, either to people or property, it will immediately get impounded. The owner will not be notified if this happens. The owner instead will have to check with the Sheriff's Office on their own behalf to inquire about their missing cattle if they were impounded.

The estray will be impounded regardless if the owner fails to remove it themselves after being notified.

In Lubbock, a recent notice of estray occurred when a rogue horse decided to take a stroll through other people's property.

Luckily, it was reunited with its owner shortly after the notice was posted, but the Lubbock County Sheriff's Office was actually about to auction the horse off if it wasn't claimed by the deadline... they clearly weren't horsing around.