This elf on a shelf needed surgery after the family dog attacked

When 7-year-old Aubrie Thelen woke up to see that her German shepherd, Zoey, had attacked her family’s elf, she woke her mom up through her morning screams.

Fortunately, Aubrie’s mom, Jenn Thelen, is the nurse manager for the emergency department at Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children in Florida, so she knew exactly who could help save Christmas for her family.

“She told her daughter not to worry because we have the best medical team and they had ‘special doctors’ that could fix her elf’s injuries,” the hospital posted on Facebook.

Thelen took Sam the Elf to the hospital, and the medical team wheeled him into trauma bay.

“The team used expired medical products to work on the elf, and even used a special pair of Santa’s magic gloves,” the hospital said. “Aubrie knew that the elf could not be touched but Jenn told her that the ‘magic gloves’ would allow the team to work on Sam.”

ER staff put Sam back together again and bandaged all his injuries.

“She even sprinkled some Christmas magic (glitter) on Sam when she was done,” the hospital said.

Sam got to go home that same evening and is recovering well.

“The magic of Christmas and Sam the Elf continues for Aubrie,” the hospital said. “Sam is now back on his shelf and mom will definitely make sure that he is out of Zoey’s reach.”

This story was originally published December 8, 2017 at 3:56 PM with the headline "This elf on a shelf needed surgery after the family dog attacked."