A court in the German city of Münster opened the trial centered around a purebred pug on Wednesday, launching the next stage in the saga which has already reached news outlets in China, Russia, and the US.

Judge Johannes Eienbröker opened the proceedings with a jab directed at the trial participants and the numerous members of the media.

"Welcome to this fiery legal clash," the judge was quoted by the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung as saying.

The female pug, named Edda, was owned by a heavily indebted family in the town of Ahlen in western Germany. The authorities seized the family's property, including the dog, in a bid to settle some of the debt. They listed the dog on eBay and sold it for €690 ($759) to a policewoman from the nearby town late last year. The ad claimed the animal was in good health.

However, the new owner soon noticed the dog was showing symptoms of an eye infection. She was forced to pay for four operations, including an emergency procedure over Christmas. The dog also requires pricey medication and would likely need additional treatment.

The adorable pug Regal puppys The Hetjens Museum in the western German city of Düsseldorf has rolled out the red carpet for the little canine heartbreakers. The exhibition "Housetraining Guaranteed" shows pugs in all shapes and sizes – 60, to be exact – including the above Meissen porcelain figurines.

The adorable pug Cult canine The pudgy dog is immensely popular in Germany these days. But the newly chic breed was also beloved in the past. In the 18th century, there was actually a secret Masonic-style society called the Order of the Pug that had its own porcelain pug emblem. No doubt, the compact canine has long had cult appeal.

The adorable pug Grrrrr! This pug hangs on to his owner's pants leg for all he's worth at the annual International Pug Meeting in Berlin. These mildly ferocious tendencies don’t translate into effective watch-dogging, however. "A pug will bark at an intruder, but then will invite them to stay for a cup of coffee," a pug-lover once described the friendly little lapdog.

The adorable pug Pug Art This pug by the name of Frau Poldi poses in front of a painting by Julian Khol entitled "Zülpicher" at the Düsseldorf Art Fair. Her owner has an art gallery, and regularly takes Frau Poldi along. Famous artists painted pugs, too, including Pop Art icon Andy Warhol, who had a soft spot for the charming canine companions.

The adorable pug A dog with a mission Arnold peers at a photo of himself in the newspaper. Wearing his blue Berlin Railway Mission work uniform, the pug is a street worker of sorts, a joy to travelers and homeless people alike. Out of uniform, he is simply a young pug with floppy ears and big brown saucer eyes.

The adorable pug Wrinkled ancestors Pugs originated in China, a descendent of the Shar Pei (photo above). Animal rights activists say pugs are overbred. Selective breeding has left them with arthritis, shortness of breath and meningitis. As a result, many pugs suffer their entire lives.

The adorable pug Loyal companion Pugs were first imported to Europe from China in the 18th century, popular as lapdogs for aristocratic ladies. Legend has it that in the Battle of Belgrade in 1717, a pug and his owner were separated — but the little dog made his way back home to Winnental Palace. Duke Karl Alexander had a stone sculpture erected to commemorate his loyal dog. Author: Stefan Dege (db)



No interest in settlement

The police officer, Michaela Jordan, has now sued the city of Ahlen for compensation money. According to her lawyer, the total in damages requested is between €15,000 and €20,000, but it might end up being much higher.

"We are not interested in an out-of-court settlement," lawyer Wolfgang Kalla told the DPA news agency before the start of the trial.

Read more: Pirates, knights and pugs: unusual events to discover in Germany

A city official insists that he had visited a veterinarian who had treated Edda in the past to check on the dog's health condition before the sale. The animal care professional allegedly told the official that Edda had no diseases listed in her medical file, according to the German DPA news agency.

The Münster court is set to hear an expert testimony to clarify if the dog's health problems were "degenerative" in nature, stemming from conditions that had developed before the sale.

Watch video 02:18 Share Wild Pug Chase Send Facebook google+ Whatsapp Tumblr linkedin stumble Digg reddit Newsvine Permalink https://p.dw.com/p/16CwH Wild Pug Chase

Life without a pug 'meaningless'

The owner also wants the city to pay her back the money for the dog. However, she does not want to give up her new pet.

"The dog stays with me until the end of its life," Jordan on Wednesday.

Judge Eienbröker responded by paraphrasing a quote from German comedian Loriot:

"A life without a pug is possible, but meaningless," he said. The German plural of pug is the same as a slang term for breasts.

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