ORLANDO — The hospital staff at an Orlando children’s hospital save lives every day, but on the morning of Dec. 6, they saved a little bit of Christmas.

An Elf on the Shelf named Sam was in big trouble after his rowdy sister, a German Shepherd named Zoey, played a bit too rough.

Sam was rushed to the operating room, dismembered, but the elf-saving specialists at Arnold Palmer brought out surgical tools only used on elves — gloves, gauze and glitter to make the necessary mends.  

In no time, Sam was whole again and home (on a high shelf) with mom and 7-year-old Aubrie, and yes, Zoey.