Charlie, the lion-sheared dog, caused a panic in Norfolk, Va., on Tuesday, before arriving in New York Wednesday for his 15 minutes of fake-feline fame. Residents of Norfolk who saw the 3-year-old Labradoodle strutting the streets called 911 to report a loose baby lion. "I just saw an animal that looked like a small lion. Had the mane and everything … I don't know if it got away from the zoo, or what," one man told a 911 dispatcher.

Charlie’s owner, Daniel Painter, had him shaved down to resemble Old Dominion University’s mascot—Big Blue (pictured below). He’s gained quite a following by attending the tailgates at ODU football games. “He has a thousand-and-200 friends on Facebook,” Painter told Fox News on Wednesday. Charlie now has nearly 40,000 likes.

On Wednesday night, Charlie The Monarch (as he’s called on his Facebook page), took to Times Square to soak up the attention of his recent fame. He was in town to appear on the morning talk show circuit on Thursday, including Today and Good Morning America.

Check out a video of Charlie and his infamous auburn mane below:

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