The second-tier Tallinn Circuit Court in May upheld the interim possession by the plaintiffs of three pure bred dogs: Osminine's Flamenco Feeling, Osminine's Baron Boucheron, and Osminine's Xcellence Award.

This followed an appeal by the Agricultural and Food Board (PTA) of a first-tier administrative court ruling over dogs' ownership. Most of the complaints were overruled save for the three noted, who were returned to two owners.

The dogs are in the complainants' possession under interim legal protection, meaning their return is valid until the ongoing case is resolved, and the complainants may keep the animals on the condition that they not be returned to the former keeper's possession during the proceedings.

Last October, six plaintiffs had appealed to the PTA, stating that 14 of the 87 dogs belonged to them, not the breeder. They requested that the dogs be returned until a final court ruling and that the dogs not be sterilized during the proceedings.

Officials had taken a total of 87 Pomeranians from a dog kennel to a shelter last year on the basis of poor conditions.

The PTA conducted an inspection in September 2024 at a pedigree dog kennel and Pomeranian breeder located in a large private house in Tallinn, and discovered severe overcrowding: About 40 Pomeranians were being kept in a room behind a garage on the ground floor of the property, with nearly 20 more dogs housed on the second floor. The PTA found the rooms were soiled with excrement and that some of the dogs on the second floor were being kept in cages.

Additionally a mesh cart in the property's attic was found in a dark corner, packed with 21 Pomeranians who had minimal space to move or even breathe, and the dogs showed signs of overheating. Two dogs were too weak to stand. One black Pomeranian that was not breathing was also found, and attempts to resuscitate it proved unsuccessful.

Several of the animals were found to have dental issues and eye discharges, while most exhibited dirty and matted fur. Veterinary examinations revealed that several bitches also had mammary tumors.

The shelter which took on the dogs stated that four of them had been given to new owners, leading to the complaints.

The PTA itself doubted that the individuals were the actual owners of the dogs, stating: "Considering that all the dogs named in the complaint are pedigree dogs registered in the Estonian kennel association's studbook, it is unclear why the alleged owners' details are not listed there."

"By claiming that the 14 dogs belong to other individuals, the intention is to return them to persons connected with the breeder, use the dogs for breeding (all the dogs named in the complaint are of breeding age), and keep the animals within the breeder's sphere of influence," the plaintiff's statement read.

Another factor is the costly nature of Pomeranian ownership, partly because the dogs tend to have small litters of seldom more than two puppies.

Linda Jürgens, chair of the European and Asian Spitz Association, said the price of a Pomeranian puppy usually ranges from €1,500 to €3,500, depending on origin and breeder.

While cheaper puppies can sometimes be found in Estonia, the bare minimum would be around €800 and even then only in the case of health issues or defects.

The dispute continues at the first-tier administrative court.

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