(1) No person shall deposit or throw or allow to be deposited or thrown into any stream, lake or swale, or leave or deposit or cause to be left or deposited upon any public highway or other place the carcass of any animal; nor deposit or leave or permit to be deposited or left upon any premises under that person's control any dead animal exposed in such manner as to be reached by dogs or wild animals for a longer period than 24 hours in the months of April to November, or 48 hours during the months of December to March. The owner of such a carcass or any other person may report to the proper county officials or the contracting private rendering plant pursuant to s. 59.54 (21) for removal and burial or other disposition of a carcass within the time specified in this subsection.
(2) No person shall transport, haul or drag or permit to be transported, hauled or dragged along any public highway in this state the carcass of any animal suspected of having died from anthrax, blackleg, foot and mouth disease, sleeping sickness or glanders or any other disease which the department may designate as highly dangerous. All such carcasses shall be burned or be buried at least 6 feet below the surface of the ground and shall be completely covered so as to prevent their being reached by wild animals or dogs. Whenever it is necessary to transport any such carcass across any public highway for burial, it shall be transported in such manner as not to contaminate any part of the public highway. The carcasses of animals dying from other communicable diseases may be transported to and disposed of under such regulations as are prescribed by the department. The definition of "communicable disease" in s. 990.01 (5g) does not apply to this subsection.
(3) Any dead animal found upon a public highway or other public place shall, in case the owner of the animal cannot be found, be buried or otherwise disposed of at public expense by the local health department, as defined in s. 250.01 (4) (a) 1. or 3. or (b) , in whose jurisdiction the animal is found. This subsection applies if a county does not exercise its authority under s. 59.54 (21) .
(4) In a county which does not exercise its authority under s. 59.54 (21) , the owner of a carcass is obligated to dispose of it as specified in this section.