It was famously written that "the love of money is the root of all evil," and that includes all kinds of evil acts most people would never even dream up.
Case in point: a town in Germany is facing an international backlash after repossessing a family's dog and selling it on eBay.
The controversy began when the town of Ahlen, Germany seized property from a citizen who fell behind on their taxes, including an unpaid tax for pet owners.
Sadly, it seems the family had almost no valuables to claim except for a purebred pug, named Edda. A town employee reportedly put the pooch on the auction site eBay for €750 ($854).
A bidder actually managed to get their hands on Edda before the public caught on, but now the town's government is facing a backlash from animal lovers around the world.
The town's treasurer, Dirk Schlebes, has no regrets about the dog snatching, and told news agency dpa, "We got a slightly lower price and the money went into the town coffers."
Now, Ahlen is being sued by Edda's new owner, a police officer who claims Edda has required four eye surgeries since she bought her in December.
Michaela Johnson said she was shocked to find the dog listed for half the price a purebred pug would normally cost, but has since spent an extra $2,000 on treatments for the dog's undisclosed illnesses.
Johnson is taking the city to court for Edda's medical bills and her original cost.
While Edda's original owner accepts that it was legal for Ahlen to take her dog, she and her three children miss their pet terribly.
A spokesperson for the town told the BBC they would investigate the scandal, but a spokesperson told NPR the sale was "legally permissible."
[H/T: USA Today]
