A family in Germany had its pet dog seized by the government and sold on eBay to pay the family’s unpaid debts. Edda, a 1-year old purebred pug was listed on the online marketplace for $850, but ended up being sold for slightly less. The town of Ahlen defends its actions as perfectly legal and points to a search warrant that led to the seizure of items, including the family’s beloved Edda. But a spokesman acknowledged that the sale of the pug on eBay was questionable and may be subject to review. [WaPost] [NPR] [AP]
Topping the news: Top Utah Republican lawmakers released their plan to make sweeping changes to Utah’s tax system, expanding the sales tax to cover many services and areas that have been exempt — from health insurance premiums to legal services, from plumbers to laundromats.