Dog mistaken for baby lion prompts 911 call

A 911 caller reported that a baby lion was walking down a street in Norfolk, Virginia, possibly looking for food. So police called the Virginia Zoo to make sure the lions were all accounted for.



Mramba, the male lion, and Zola, the female, were in their habitats. As it turns out, it was Charles the Monarch that was out and about. Neighbourhood regulars know Charles, who hangs out with his owner at Daniel Painter's business, Daniel's Lawn & Garden Center.

Charles is a cross of Labrador retriever and poodle shaved to look like the mascot of Old Dominion University. It wasn't the first time Charles had generated a police call.


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Painter said police have told him several times that his dog has been mistaken for a lion. He said he's taken his dog from his Riverview home to Lafayette Park near the zoo and seen people run to their cars in shock. "I tell people he's a Lab-a-lion, and half the people believe that."