I am in the midst of a legal tangle. Do not know if you would call it a seizure.
It was brought to my sister's attention that a hrose she used to own was in a near death situation. She called me to see if I could keep Horse X. Since I have miniatures and space I was the logical one to call. (She would never have called me if it had been a big horse.) There is a lot of detail, but the LAW says she took it without the owner's permission. They ("owners") filed charges against her. I went to the sheriff and signed an affadavit that the horse is in my possession and she can stay till situation is resolved. They were fine with that.
3 weeks go by. I go to the sheriff this week to ask about the case. They have very strange looks on their faces, rather somber, and say it has been turned over to the DA and I must go over there. (I am in a small town, thank goodness, and my horse, Dapper Dan, is well known locally; he is a very good public relations representative.) I go to the DA's office. Paperwork on his desk; he has not looked at it yet. Leave my phone number. I tell the secretary I am trying to find out my responsibility in the case with the horse, since I've had her 3 weeks and supposed it would only be a few days. She takes my name/phone number.
Go in next day to DA, thinking it would be better not to wait for a call. Secretary looks stern. She tells me I am in big trouble and criminal charges have been filed against my sister and I have received stolen property. I protest that I have informed the sheriff that the horse is on my property and was instructed not to move her. Secretary says I must return horse to the owners. I say fine, but I do not know who they are and I want the sheriff to come out and get her as I require a witness. She calls sheriff and tells them to arrange this.
My sister calls lawyer. She must pay $375 court costs and return horse. MAYBE charges will be dropped then. She is told that she is liable for arrest, including handcuffing!!!
So, seizure probably is not a good idea. Especially if you do not live in a friendly, rural community. Hindsight says she should have gone through legal channels. (The people's dogs were impounded for abuse the day after the horse incident.)
People who abuse animals are dispicable and usually have NOTHING to lose. They do not mind making trouble for other folks; someone else will pay the bill. And they usually have plenty of experience with beaurocracy to know how to work the system. Law abiding folks usually don't.
To be continued...