In the states I’m familiar with, which is only a couple, they belong to the state. Though the state would say they belong to the citizens of the state, collectively, described as the People of the State of =====. Regulated on behalf of the People by the State. Not necessarily a bad thing, imo.
Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”