O'Neill accepts award for outstanding ensemble for comedy series for "Modern Family" with fellow cast members at Screen Actors Guild Awards in Los Angeles
Ed O'Neill (L) accepts the award for outstanding ensemble for a comedy series for "Modern Family" with fellow cast members at the 17th annual Screen Actors Guild Awards in Los Angeles, California January 30, 2011. Reuters

After finally reaching a contract agreement, the stars of "Modern Family's" Season 4 are back on the set, with the lineup of the cast unchanged except for one replacement -- the dog Stella.

After a weeklong controversy with the cast of the Emmy-winning comedy threatening to sue 20th Century Fox over salary issues, the dispute has been settled. So there will be no new cast for "Modern Family's" season 4.

Sofia Vergara, Eric Stonestreet, Julie Bowen, Jesse Tyler Ferguson and Ty Burrell will continue to play their characters, but there is one change in the cast -- Stella. Jay and Gloria's pet was played by a French bulldog named Bridgette, but she will be replaced by another of the same breed named Beatrice, according to TMZ.

TMZ reported that Bridgette was hired for the show by an agency called Good Dog Animals. This agency reportedly leased Bridgette to the "Modern Family" production a little before Season 2. But now, the agency has decided to dump Bridgette and they got a lookalike in Beatrice.

In July, the cast charged that 20th Century Fox was binding them in what they claimed were 'illegal contracts' that bonded them to show till 2016.

According to executive producer Christopher Lloyd, the problem is now settled and the production is now going smoothly.