French Bulldog in Stolen Car Returned to Owner: See Their Joyous Reunion

The dog's owner briefly went inside of a fast food restaurant to pick up an order and returned to find his car with his French bulldog gone

A French bulldog and its owner have been reunited after a harrowing ordeal.

A 4-year-old canine named Recardito had gone missing after being left inside of a parked car that was stolen over the weekend, Washington, D.C.’s Metropolitan Police Department said in a press release on Monday.

The victim of the theft was identified by Fox 5 as a man named Elkin.

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According to police, the D.C. resident returned to where he’d parked his vehicle at 3:01 a.m. on Sunday in the 1900 block of 14th Street, Northwest only to see that his car, which had Recardito inside, was gone.

“The victim’s [dog] has been recovered, but Recardito was not in the vehicle,” the department tweeted on Monday morning, along with a press release.

A photo of the dog was shared as well as images of the suspect, which had been taken from nearby surveillance cameras.

“Good news to share! MPD detectives located Recardito tonight and reunited him with his owner,” police said in an updated social media announcement on Monday.

In one of the photos posted by the department, Elkin kneeled on the ground while embracing Recardito. Another picture showed the pet owner holding his pup as he smiled for a photo with one of the detectives.

Related: Dog Owner Clings to Car Hood as Alleged Thieves Drive Away with Her French Bulldog

Fox 5 spoke with Elkin ahead of the reunion. At the time, the distraught owner told the news station that he was new to the area after moving to D.C. with his pup just a few months ago from Colombia.

"The truth is, I don't know what to do," said Elkin in Spanish, per the outlet. "I need my dog back."

According to the station, Elkin works as a driver for DoorDash, and had left Recardito in his vehicle for only a few minutes while he ran inside a nearby McDonald's to pick up a customer’s food order.

The news station added that the delivery driver fought back tears during the interview.

Authorities were able to locate the French bulldog by Monday evening, however, the person responsible for the theft of Recardito and Elkin’s car has not been apprehended.

Related: D.C. Police 'Thank the Community' for Saving 7 Bulldog Puppies Stolen with Dog Owner's Car

Investigators are asking for the public’s help in locating the suspect.

“The Metropolitan Police Department currently offers a reward of up to $1,000 to anyone who provides information that leads to the arrest and indictment of the person or persons responsible for a crime committed in the District of Columbia,” police said.

“Anyone who has knowledge of this incident should take no action but call police at (202) 727-9099 or text your tip to the Department's TEXT TIP LINE at 50411," police continued.

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