Milford horse farm owner fights seizure of 37 horses by Oakland County Animal Control
Milford business owner filed motion to get horses back
The owner of High Vibes Trail Rides in Milford, Lucie Ptasznik, wants her horses back. Her attorney, Todd Flood, filed a motion demanding they be returned. He says last month a disgruntled former employee called in an anonymous, bogus complaint of neglect. Animal Control responded and found the horses in good health with food and water.
MILFORD, Mich. (FOX 2) - Oakland County Animal Control seized multiple of one business owner's horses and sidelined her business. Now her attorney is firing back.
High Vibes Trail Rides horses seized
The backstory:
Dozens of horses were seized earlier this month from a company in Milford after cruelty allegations. Oakland County Animal Control said they’ve been investigating "High Vibes Trail Rides" for weeks.
READ MORE: 38 horses seized from Milford Trail Ride company amid animal cruelty investigation
Big picture view:
The owner of High Vibes Trail Rides in Milford, Lucie Ptasznik, is fighting to get her horses back.
The other side:
Her attorney, Todd Flood, filed a motion demanding they be returned. He says last month a disgruntled former employee called in an anonymous, bogus complaint of neglect.
Animal Control responded and found the horses in good health with food and water.
Two weeks later, the owner had a veterinarian out to examine the horses. They were healthy with some undergoing treatment for various medical conditions. Flood also says on August 4th an Animal Control officer told her ex-boyfriend they were going to take the horses and admitted to being on the property without permission.
What they're saying:
"37 horses worth over $300,000 in great shape, are seized," Flood said. "She lost a $200,000 contract because of this act. That anonymous caller hadn’t been on that property since 2024. Law enforcement came out there on July 16th – gave a clean bill of health. The sad part about this is someone’s due process was usurped basically by bogus information and the interest of the horses. They weren’t served. The sad thing about this is that Animal Control hasn’t even made contact with my client."
What's next:
Flood says High Vibes Trail Rides has been ordered to pay $64,000 for the care of the horses while the investigation is underway or else she will lose the horses to forfeiture. So there’s a lot at stake.
The Source: FOX 2 talked with Attorney Todd Flood and used previous reporting for information in this story.