A person who brands or marks, or causes to be branded or marked, an animal that is the property of another with the person's brand or a brand that is not the recorded brand of the owner or effaces, defaces, or obliterates a brand or mark upon an animal is guilty of theft and, upon conviction thereof, is liable to the owner of the animal for three times the value of the animal so branded or marked or upon which the brand or mark has been effaced, defaced, or obliterated. Payment of the forfeiture provided in this section does not entitle the person so branding, effacing, defacing, or obliterating a brand to the property right in the animal so branded or upon which the brand was effaced, defaced, or obliterated, but such animal shall be surrendered to the proper owner.

Source: G.L. § 2582. G.S. § 3177. R.S. 08: § 6368. C.L. § 3136. CSA: C. 160, § 20. CRS 53: § 8-2-17. C.R.S. 1963: § 8-2-17. L. 73: p. 1395, § 4. L. 2025: Entire section amended, (HB 25-1084), ch. 24, p. 127, § 114, effective August 6.