(a) If the owner is not found, and the estimated value of the animal exceeds two hundred twenty-five dollars ($225), the secretary shall cause a notice of the taking up of, and intent to sell the animal to be prepared. The notice may be distributed to the county department of agriculture and to all sales yards in the state. The secretary may limit distribution of the notice, however, to those sales yards that deal in the same type of animal as the animal that is taken up.

(b) The notice shall be posted for a period of 14 days on a bulletin board in each office of the Bureau of Livestock Identification.

(c) In addition to posting and distributing the notice, the secretary shall periodically publish a list of the animals for which notice was given pursuant to this section, including the brands and descriptions of the branded animals and descriptions of the unbranded animals in the classified section of a livestock industry publication that is in general circulation throughout the State of California.

(Amended by Stats. 1997, Ch. 727, Sec. 1.5. Effective January 1, 1998.)