HEARTLESS

German Town Sells Family’s Pug on eBay to Cover Unpaid Taxes

Sparking fierce backlash on social media.

Officials in Germany seized a family’s pet pug and sold it on eBay as repayment for tax debt. The west German town of Ahlen is now defending its actions after receiving backlash from social-media users who called the move heartless. The town said selling the family’s beloved dog, Edda, was a last resort because authorities were unable to find anything else of worth to take. Edda, who is a rare black pug, was sold online for $854. Ahlen’s treasurer, Dirk Schlebes, is quoted as saying the seizure was legal and only happened after other nonessential household goods had been taken, German news agency dpa reported Thursday. German media also reported that Ahlen officials initially wanted to seize the wheelchair of a disabled resident, but settled on the pedigree pug instead. The family had allegedly failed to pay its debts to the town, including a dog tax.

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