A pug was seized by authorities in German town over its owner’s debts and sold on ebay to recover fees owed.
Edda the pug was seized from a family in Ahlen after it was found that they owed debts to the city.
According to Deutsche Welle, the family had tried to resettle the debts through alternative means however the city seized the dog because of its high value.
Edda was sold on auction site Ebay for £642 to Michaela Jordan, a police officer.
According to Ms Jordan, the city told her that sale of the animal was legal.
However a week later, she discovered that Edda needed four operations, including an emergency procedure over the Christmas period.
Ms Jordan is taking legal action against the German city to reclaim the cost of the treatment so far and the purchase price.
Edda’s original owner told the Ahlener Tageblatt that her three children miss the dog.
She explained that two officials arrived at the family home to search for items that could recoup their debt.
Officials had considered taking her disabled husband’s wheelchair however it was found that it belonged to an employee insurance association.
A spokesman for the municipality of Ahlen said that seizing the dog over unpaid fees was “not the usual procedure.”
