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Man goes to auction, finds his own bull up for sale

Deputies say his neighbor thought it was OK to sell it because it was on his relative's property.
Credit: Polk County Jail

LAKELAND, Fla. — A man at a cattle auction was surprised to find one of his own bulls was being sold, the Polk County Sheriff's Office said.

According to the sheriff's Facebook page, the man was at the Cattlemen's Livestock Auction on Aug. 13 on Highway 92 in Lakeland when he noticed his 4½-year-old semi-Angus bull was up for sale.

He recognized it because of his facial markings and ear notches.

Deputies found that Stewart Gregg Smith Jr. had brought the bull to the auction. Smith's relative has a pasture next to where the bull was grazing, according to deputies.

Smith told deputies he knew the bull belonged to someone else, and he said he had tried to get ahold of his neighbor to let them know it had gotten onto their land. When he hadn't heard back, he said he assumed it was OK to sell the bull.

Smith was charged with grand theft and dealing with stolen property. He was released from jail after posting $6,000 bail. 

The bull was returned to his owner.

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