A large-eared pooch was picked up by Jackson County animal control officers on Monday. He'll be held on a five-day "stray hold" through Friday. 

A pint-sized pup picked up by Jackson County animal control officers Monday took fewer than 24 hours to make his way via social media to more than a dozen states.

The dog’s unusually large ears created an immediate stir on local, regional, even national “lost and found” pet pages, and his image was shared across various rescue groups.

A weary expression captured in a single photo of the dog prompted near-hysteria from dog lovers eager to provide a new home and speculate about his parentage.

A black-and-white terrier mix, the dog has ears nearly the size of his entire body. An intact male weighing between 10 and 14 pounds, the lost pooch — likely a juvenile, though he’s been too shy to be handled — was found beneath a wooden deck on a house near downtown Medford. 

County animal shelter officials said the dog is likely part terrier and part papillon, a breed known for erect, butterfly-shaped ears.

Shelter staff said the pup’s ears are impressive, even by breed standards.

Within hours of being posted to two Facebook pages — “Pet Finder for Southern Oregon (LOST AND FOUND ONLY)” and “Lost and Found Dogs of Southern Oregon” — the dog had been nicknamed “Dobby,” after the homely house elf from the “Harry Potter” series, by shelter volunteers and community members.

Posts from the two groups were shared a combined 500-plus times and generated hundreds of comments, many around nostalgia over favorite pop culture movies and cartoon characters.

“Master has given Dobby a sock!” one social media user declared in response to the photo.

Others wondered if the critter was, in fact, fully canine.

“A baby fruit bat!!! he’s so cute!!!” said anotheruser.

Some page viewers wondered if the dog was part gremlin, a creature from a popular 1984 movie.

“Don’t feed it after midnight!” said Sonya Warren, of Medford.

“Don’t get it wet,” said another user.

A local pet owner tagged a friend, insisting the dog was a doppelgänger for a big-eared mutt named “Dukie.”

“The shelter won’t take dogs or cats…. BUT THEY WILL TAKE ALIENS?!” said Medford resident Adrienne Reynolds.

A concerned dog owner offer a touch of perspective: “Some mama somewhere MISSES this face!”

Jackson County Animal Services manager Jody Sherry said the dog was the least impressed with his sudden fame and was too skittish on Tuesday for an impromptu photo shoot. In fact, he had to be humanely trapped after a handful of attempts by good Samaritans to talk him out from under the deck.

Despite his limited public appearances, calls have been pouring in from community members asking when “Dobby” would be available for adoption. Sherry said the dog would be on a “stray hold” for the required five days before being assessed for adoption.

Shelter officials hope the plight of the missing dog will encourage other pet owners to license their own.

To see a list of dogs available for adoption, and to watch for Dobby, visit online at jacksoncountyor.gov/departments/health___human_services/programs_and_services/animal_services/adoption_information/index.php.