"Lion" dog gives Virginia residents a scare

Charles the Monarch, a Labrador-poodle mix with a unique haircut, "tail"-gates at an Old Dominion University game with his owner. / Facebook

Charles the dog caused a scare in a Norfolk, Va., neighborhood this week when residents and passers-by mistook him and his curly mane for a lion.

CBS affiliate WTKR-TV reports Charles, a Labrador-poodle mix, was strolling down the street after an appointment at the groomer's when the 911 calls started coming in.

"I'd like to report a lion sighting," a caller said.

"Say that again?" the dispatcher responded.

A few minutes later, another call came in: "I just saw an animal that looked like a small lion. Had the mane and everything ... I don't know if it got away from the zoo, or what," a man said.

Another woman told a 911 dispatcher the "baby lion" is the size of a Labrador retriever, also citing the nearby Virginia Zoo.

The Norfolk Police Department responded by contacting the zoo and assuring all its lions were accounted for. The wild animals were all asleep.

Charles and Virginia Zoo director Greg Brockheim.

/ WTKR

Authorities soon realized that the animal in question was no lion, but a dog with a creative haircut.

The dog's owner, Daniel Painter, told WTKR-TV he shaves the dog's hair that way to represent Old Dominion University's lion mascot -- his daughter goes to school there.

Charles, 3, appears to enjoy being the center of attention. He has his own Facebook page, full with pictures from puppyhood to adulthood. His bio gives the full name "Charles the Monarch" and describes him as a "party animal."

Now, that page is full of links to articles and appearances on television, thanks to the lion scare fiasco that has made him a national star.

"Who wants a pawtograph?" one post says.

[sayl2012]

I'd hate to see what would happen if any of those callers had a gun!

[Sharona1965]

I've also heard of people in VA./D.C. mistaking a Great Dane for a Mountain Lion.

[Sharona1965]

Really sad. This dog looks NOTHING like a lion.

[Anthonomus]

Goodnight, Gorilla!

[sueb45]

Apparently, there's not a lot to do in Virginia...they don't get out much-certainly not to the zoo. Fortunately, none of the whacky neighbors had guns or one of them would have a Labradoodle head on their wall.

[catmomtx]

I was thinking the very same thing!

[bobnjersey]

["I'd like to report a lion sighting," a caller said.]
-------------------------------------------
hello ... 911 ... i'd like to report a lion video sighting on the internet ... and i fear someone else on the internet might be at risk.

[sueb45]

This people live close to DC...you'd think they'd be used to "lyin"

[OmegaWolf747]

People really need to go to their local zoo or at least watch some nature shows. It would be readily apparent to anyone with an iota of familiarity with nature that Charlie is way to small to be a lion and lion cubs do not have manes.

[notredamegirl77]

I was thinking the same thing!!! Lions are 4x times bigger than that dog. How can anyone mistakes this for a lion!

[tireslinger]

Thank you very much!! Maybe if some of these people don't actually want to get out and go to the zoo, they can watch some shows on Animal Planet...good grief!! People...actually see what you're looking at! Maybe then, you'd have seen how non-lion like, this dog looked.

[tsigili]

Humans are just so laughable.

They obviously have NO IDEA what a lion looks like.

[signseeker1717]

What does living in a CITY have to do with it? There aren't many lions on farms in our "country" EITHER. Ignorance is ignorance.

[VA_Jill]

It's a poodle cut, for heaven's sake! Some people really need to get a life!

[Scimajor]

Yikes. Virginian's need to to watch the Discovery Channel more.

[signseeker1717]

The GOP holds the majority in the VA state legislature and the state has a GOP governor; that means they DO have "high numbers of GOP representation". That's not "propaganda"; that's fact.