Dog Dispute Has Happy Ending

UPLAND (CBSLA.com) — An Upland family has been reunited with its French bulldog, after a mysterious mix-up at the Upland Animal Shelter.

Jingyun Lim her husband, and their 2-year-old daughter were beginning to lose hope of ever being able to hold their lost dog, Birkin, again.

And although the family is relieved their beloved pet that went missing 11 days ago is going home with them, the reunion was bittersweet and didn't come without a battle.

"We thank our friends and the media and everyone who supported us. We are very excited and also I think my dog is excited," said Kewen Qian, Li's husband.

Last week, four days after Birkin disappeared, the family went to the Upland Animal Shelter, where Li says workers initially told her they didn't have a dog matching Birkin's description.

But when the family went in the back, they say they then saw Birkin. Li even snapped a photo of him wearing the collar the family says they gave him.

Li says after she confronted workers, they told her that the dog had been adopted and the new owner was not willing to stop the adoption.

Li protested, but says that when she returned a few minutes later, Birkin was gone. They then say the shelter called the police.

Li told a heartbreaking story to CBSLA Saturday, saying through tears that she couldn't explain to her daughter what was happening.

Though Birkin has since been reunited with its family, they say the shelter never explained how they got the dog back from the new owner who reportedly had already taken Birkin to Arizona.

The shelter, according to the family, only said the person decided to stop the adoption and somehow got the dog back to Upland.

Sunday, a statement was released by Friends of Upland Animal Shelter.

It said, "We're happy to have been able to facilitate reuniting the dog with its original owner."

CBS2 contacted the shelter for additional information but was referred to board members of the animal shelter. They were not available for comment until Monday.