Whenever, heretofore, any person has sustained any loss of any livestock because of rabies, or any livestock of any person has been necessarily destroyed because of rabies, and such fact has been established to the satisfaction of a duly authorized agent of the Department of Agriculture, in the manner prescribed in the act, approved the eleventh day of May, one thousand nine hundred and twenty-one (Pamphlet Laws, five hundred twenty-two), known as the “Dog Law of one thousand nine hundred and twenty-one” and its amendments,¹ the amount of the loss so sustained, as determined by such agent of the Department of Agriculture, upon the approval of the report of such agent by the Secretary of Agriculture, shall be paid by the Commonwealth, notwithstanding the fact, that it has not been proven in such cases, that the bite of a dog caused the rabies, and the Secretary of Agriculture shall immediately draw a requisition in favor of the claimant for the amount of the loss such claimant has sustained, according to the report of such agent, together with necessary and proper costs incurred. Such amount shall be paid from any appropriation to the Department of Agriculture available for the purpose of paying claims for loss or damage to livestock, or poultry, by dogs.