'Lion' on the Loose in Virginia Turns Out to be a Labradoodle with a Mane
When police in Norfolk, Virginia, received a call yesterday morning alerting them to the presence of a lion cub wandering the city streets, they immediately phoned the Virginia Zoo to ensure no kings of the jungle had gotten loose overnight.
After getting the all-clear, officers set out to learn the true identity of the lion-like animal freaking out Colley Avenue passers-by.
Turns it was a king after all: Charles the Monarch.
Something of a local celebrity, Daniel Painter's Labradoodle has had his coat shaved to resemble Old Dominion University's mascot Big Blue, and is a staple of ODU tailgate parties.
"They say you didn't get to our tailgating parties, so I have to make everybody's tailgating party with Charles," Painter told 13News. "He's a big hit."
The dog is often mistaken for a lion, so Painter has taken to calling Charles a Lab-alion. "Half the people believe that," he said.
