Real-Life Decision Making
As a livestock brand inspector, a big part of your job is to check brands on livestock to verify ownership when an animal is sold or to check the brand in order to identify an animal that has been stolen or has strayed. But when someone doesn't get his livestock branded, this can present a problem.
"Probably one of the biggest dilemmas we face is trying to convince people that they need to brand their cattle and horses so they might be readily identifiable," says Larry Gray, supervisor of livestock brand inspectors for the Texas and Southwestern Cattleraisers Association.
You are a livestock brand inspector. Ben Farmer is a rancher you have known and respected for many years. One day he calls you out to his small ranch because he feels certain that a new neighbor, Sam Deering, has some of his cattle.
On Friday, he discovered that a gate was open and four of his stock were missing. A few days later, he heard that Deering had acquired four new heads of cattle.
You make a friendly visit to the neighbor to ask if he has seen the missing animals. During your visit, you ask to see his livestock. Deering has 10 heads of cattle. Standing at the fence, you notice a distinctive brand on them, but there is one without a brand at all. With a closer look, you discover four without brands.
Back at Farmer's ranch, you ask him about the brand on his cattle. He reluctantly tells you that he hasn't had the time to brand six of his animals.
You return to question Deering about the four unbranded animals. He becomes defensive and tells you that he just moved them over from the last place he lived. Neither of these men has documents to prove ownership, but you have a strong feeling that the animals do indeed belong to Farmer.
What do you do?