The Abandoned Animal Act stands if you follow the procedure properly.
Once you consider the animal abandoned you have to send a letter
registered or certified mail with return receipt requested, asking that
the owner pick the animal up and pay the charges incurred.  The letter
must state your intentions in regards to the animal if it is not picked
up and the fact that the animal may be turned over to a local humane
society and/or euthanized in a humane way if deemed necessary.  Ten days
after the letter is postmarked whether or not the person has signed the
return receipt, you are legally allowed to act.  This is the law as it
pertains to veterinary hospitals in most states.  I am not sure if it
applies to private parties.  What we have done in the past was to follow
this procedure, but find an adopter before turning the animal over to
the humane society.  We have the humane society pick the animal up.  We
always give them a donation for the shelter.  The adopter then goes to
the humane society, pays the adoption fee and the animal is theirs, with
everything being legally documented and able to hold up in a court of law.
 
Weasels
http://pages.prodigy.net/staufferp/
[Posted in FML issue 3938]