This is the moment Tito the French bulldog is reunited with its crying owners after being taken by thieves at gunpoint.

Tito was stolen by several armed suspects in a car in Castro Valley in Alameda County in the US state of California on 15th January.

Alameda County Sheriff’s Office (ACSO) shared the touching clip on Facebook on 26th January with the message: “We are pleased to report that ‘Tito’ has been recovered by ACSO Detectives.

“On January 15th, Tito and his family were out for a walk in Castro Valley, CA, when they were confronted by several armed suspects in a vehicle.

“Tito was taken at gunpoint along with the victim’s purse containing her car keys. Several hours later, the suspects returned and stole the victim’s vehicle, which has since been recovered.”

The police said they were so angered by the incident that detectives worked on their days off to crack the case.

ACSO stated: “Detectives came in on their days off and began to work the case. They were able to make several arrests related to this robbery and a number of other East Bay robberies.

“Today, detectives followed up on some tips that led to the location of Tito. He was positively identified via his radio chip by our animal services unit.”

Sheriff Ahern said: “As a dog owner, this case disturbed me, my agency and the community. I directed our investigators to pursue all leads. I’m glad to see Tito is now reunited with his family.

“Thank you to our Detectives and Community Members for supporting this effort.”

Sheriff Ahern added: “A special thank you to Sergeant Culley, Detective Holmes, Detective Berumen and the ACSO Street Crimes Unit.”