A German town has sparked anger by confiscating a family's pet dog over unpaid debts and selling the animal on eBay.

The family from the town of Ahlen, North Rhine-Westphalia, had their black pug Edda taken away in a dispute over outstanding debts including a local dog tax.

The town put it up for sale on the auction site for €750 (£640), promising it was a 'sweet female pedigree pug'.

But town officials are now facing a legal complaint from the buyer, a policewoman, who claims it needed expensive medical treatment and was falsely advertised, local news website Die Glocke reported.

A German family had their black pug Edda (stock photo) taken away in a dispute over unpaid debts before town officials sold the animal on eBay for €750 (£640)

Debt collectors are said to have visited the Ahlen home of the family of five, and looked for valuables to cover the unpaid money.

It is claimed they considered taking the father's wheelchair but could not do so as it belonged to an insurance group.

Instead they took the one-year-old dog and put it up for sale, stating in the online listing that it had been vaccinated and microchipped but not castrated.

The buyer, Michaela Jordan, said she was suspicious of the low price for the unusually-coloured pug, having expected to pay double what was advertised.

She phoned the number listed on the advert, leading her to an Ahlen official who explained the background.

She collected the animal in December but claimed she found it with a 'massive eye injury' which needed treatment by a veterinarian.

The police officer said she had to pay some $1,800 (£1,540) for the medical treatment.

She plans to sue the town, believing the dog was mis-sold, and will demand that authorities refund the initial price and cover her medical costs.

The town said it was 'not usual' to confiscate the dog but said it was legal.