A lion reported on the loose in Norfolk is actually a Labradoodle with a cut resembling the shaggy mane and tawny coat of a big cat.

NORFOLK, Va. – A lion reported on the loose in Norfolk is actually a Labradoodle with a cut resembling the shaggy mane and tawny coat of a big cat.

Daniel Painter’s dog, Charles the Monarch, so resembles the king of the jungle that police received a call Tuesday of a baby lion on the loose.

The Virginian-Pilot (http://bit.ly/TJkTxb) reports that police called the Norfolk Zoo to make sure their two lions were in their cages, which they were.

The dog’s coif is, in fact, intended to look like the mascot of Old Dominion University.

This wasn’t Charles’ first case of mistaken identity. Painter said police have told him several times people have reported seeing a lion when it was really his dog.

He often tells people he’s a “lab-a-lion.”

See video of Charles the Monarch from The Virginian-Pilot:

Information from: The Virginian-Pilot, http://pilotonline.com

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