West Virginia Code Chapter 19. Agriculture § 19-18-1. Livestock trespassing on property of another; damages for injuries to person or property; notice to livestock owner; containment of livestock; costs for containment

(a) If livestock enters the property of a landowner without that landowner's consent, the owner of the livestock is liable for damages for personal injury or property damage in a civil action in magistrate or circuit court.

(b) The landowner must attempt to contact the owner of the trespassing livestock within 48 hours of the trespass. If the owner cannot be contacted within 48 hours, the landowner shall notify the county sheriff.

(c) The landowner may contain the trespassing livestock on his or her property, but is not required to do so. If the landowner is able to contact the owner of the trespassing livestock pursuant to subsection (a) of this section, he or she shall also inform the owner of the costs of containment and shall allow the owner to retrieve the livestock.

(d) The owner of the trespassing livestock and the landowner shall attempt to mutually agree upon a fair cost for any containment. A fair cost for containment is an amount which would be allowed for the sheriff for containing similar livestock. If the negotiation fails, or if the landowner is not otherwise reimbursed for the costs for containment, the landowner may seek monetary damages in a civil action for these costs.

(e) “Livestock” is defined as an animal of the bovine, equine, porcine, ovine or caprine specie, domestic poultry, peafowl, guineafowl, leporidae, camelid, emu, and captive cervid as defined in § 19-2H-2 of this code.