Christmas is just over a week away so parents all over the world are busy getting their kids in the festive spirit. But one mum's Elf on the Shelf prank backfired completely when their family pooch mysteriously made the elf toy disappear - leaving her kids devastated.
Jessika See, 32, from Louisiana, USA, had set up a scene involving her son's Elf on the Shelf toy and a pile of flour. She placed her son Rafe's, aged nine, toy named Rudy in the flour so it would look like the mischievous elf was doing snow angels.
However, when she returned from the school run that afternoon she realised that the elf toy had disappeared from the scene and he was nowhere to be found.
The mum searched the house with Rafe and her younger child Cam, aged six, but they couldn't see Rudy anywhere. All that was left of the scene was a mark of white dust on the floor.
It was only after seeing the mark on the floor that the culprit was found out as it turned out that the 'Scrooge' family dog called Posey had swallowed the poor elf whole.
Jessika explained: "We just got home and walked into this scene of flour everywhere and the dog licking her lips. As soon as I saw the flour on the ground I turned and looked at her [Posey], and she looked so guilty.
"At first, my reaction was, 'Where's the elf?' I thought maybe my husband had come home and moved it. My gut knew immediately, but it was confirmed after searching the house up and down in the minutes following."
Jessika caught the dramatic scene on camera, with footage showing a very guilty looking pooch and her two kids in tears. She quickly called her mum to arrange a replacement elf toy as soon as possible - as her son Rafe had enjoyed the now-gobbled up elf since he was one-years-old.
Jessika said: "I was more in disbelief. No way had [Posey] pulled it off the counter. I think she ate it because it had flour on it. I guess she found it tasty.
"[The kids] started crying and screaming. They were upset, they weren't mad. They love their dog."
While the normally well-behaved dog will now be kept away from household objects, Jessika reassured people that Posey came to no harm after swallowing the much-loved toy.
"We were a little worried [about Posey]. So, we consulted with a vet, and they gave us things to look for. She was able to pass the elf just fine."
This is not the first time the mischievous pooch has scoffed something he should not have as in the past the dog has eaten a whole loaf of bread with the packaging on and even a pair of socks.
Luckily the next day the family were presented with a brand new elf toy who took the form of Rudy reincarnated.
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