Officials in a German town sold a pet dog named Edda on eBay after the family that owned it could not pay back their debts.
City workers from the town of Ahlen seized the local family’s belongings that included a laptop, a coffee machine, a wheelchair, and the one-year-old purebred pug, according to the Washington Post.
They listed the beloved family pet for sale online for roughly $850, drawing intense criticism on social media for their actions. Town officials defended their actions, claiming they were unable to find anything else of value to sell after Edda’s family had failed to pay off their debts to the town, including a dog tax.
The town’s treasurer, Dirk Schlebes, said the seizure was legal, and “the money went into the town coffers.”
Edda was bought by Michaela Jordan, a police officer who lived over 100 miles away from Edda’s original home. Jordan said she was surprised by the low price but was reassured by the officials that the process was legal.
“Owners who pay their dog tax properly do not need to fear enforcement,” Frank Merschhaus, the town spokesman, said. “Only if multiple requests for payment go ignored or agreements for installment payments are not adhered to” do officials take the “very long way to seizure.”
Edda’s new owner, Jordan, is considering legal action against the town because the dog racked up a medical bill of over $2,000 after an eye infection that required surgery.
Edda’s former family, which includes three young children, has criticized the town for its actions, saying they miss their beloved pet and are holding onto items that remind them of her — a leash, dog bowl, and a custom portrait.
