When the calls started coming in, police in Norfolk, Va., thought they had an escaped lion prowling their streets and immediately called the local zoo for a head count.

Thankfully, all the lions were accounted for, and the beast of Norfolk turned out to be nothing more than a loose dog with a terrible haircut.

Charles the Monarch, a cross between a Labrador retriever and a poodle (a breed known as a labradoodle), is apparently well-known around the neighbourhood for its unique shave that makes it resemble local Old Dominion University's mascot, which is, you guessed it, a lion.

The dog and its owner, Daniel Painter, are also apparently well know at university football tailgate parties.

Charles the Monarch is often mistaken for a lion, Painter told 13News, and he's started to jokingly tell people the dog is half lion.

"Half the people believe that," he said.