KANSAS CITY, Kan. -- City officials made a mistake that cost a man his five pets.

Mildry Bridges said he came home to his 20-acre farm in rural Kansas City, Kan., back in 2003, to find a note from Animal Control saying they had taken his two cocker spaniels and three Siberian huskies after receiving an anonymous complaint.

He called animal control and struck a deal to get his five dogs back. He agreed to keep only three on his property.

Bridges arranged for a relative to take his two other dogs. But he found out the city made a mistake before he got the dogs back.

"The day before they were to be returned to me, they was euthanized," said Bridges.

Bridges took the Unified Government of Wyandotte County and Kansas City, Kan., to court and was awarded $8,000.

Officials with the Unified Government had no comment.