A “baby lion” was spotted walking on the streets of Norfolk, VA, sparking 911 calls from concerned residents. The calls kept pouring in that the authorities were prompted to ask the local zoo to check if any of their big cats had gotten out.
But according to the zoo, none of their lions had escaped. As it turned out, the animal that had many people worried was not a lion on the loose, but a Labradoodle named Charles. The dog was taking a walk after his visit to the groomer.
Labradoodles are a crossbreed between the Labrador retriever and the poodle. Their bodies are as big as that of a Labrador retriever, but they have thick coats like that of a poodle.
Charles is a therapy dog to his owner, Daniel Painter. Fondly called Charles the Lion or Charles the Monarch, the pup did look like a young lion. He even had a “mane.”
That’s because Painter specifically had Charles groomed to look that way. Painter’s daughter studied at Old Dominion University, which had a lion for a mascot. He wanted his dog to resemble a lion in honor of the school that his daughter went to.
Whenever Charles’ coat began to grow thick, Painter would take him to the groomer to have it shaved and cut so that the dog retained his lion-like appearance. Those who knew Charles found him cute in his distinct hairdo.
Charles was a pretty big hit at the university. Students would come to pet him whenever he visited. He always got a lot of attention from the people in the school – and he loved all of it.
Because of the incident that caused 911 calls, the “baby lion” Labradoodle caught even more attention. He was featured on various TV shows and news outlets like ABC News and CBS. Watch the adorable Labradoodle in the video below.
Source: ABC News via YouTube
