Residents in Norfolk, Va., dialed 911 when they thought a lion was roaming around the town,

Concerned police checked with a local zoo to make sure no lions had escaped.They hadn’t.

As it turned out, all was well. The “baby lion” seen frolicking near Garden Center on Colley Avenue was just Charles the dog.

Charles — whose full name is “Charles the Monarch” — regularly hangs out at the business of his fun-loving owner, Daniel Painter. Painter has groomed Charles to resemble the mascot of Old Dominion University in Norfolk, and he’s also created a Facebook page for his beloved pet.

As of this writing, the Labrador retriever and poodle crossbreed has 2,382 fans on Facebook, where he’s characterized as “just your everyday party animal.”

Charles’ fan base is sure to grow in the wake of the media attention over the 911 call. TODAY covered the flap on Wednesday morning and other national outlets have been jumping on the story as well. The dog’s owner is having plenty of fun with the whole incident via social media.

“Who wants a pawtograph?” said one Facebook post from Charles on Wednesday.