( CNN ) -- One mall Santa might be getting some coal in his stocking this year . Last week , Santa Claus and a helper elf from The Shops at Mission Viejo in California turned away a 7-year-old girl with autism and her service dog , a pit bull named Pup-Cake . According to the Orange County Register , Abcde Santos , who pronounces her first name `` ab-suh-dee , '' and Pup-Cake stood in line for 30 minutes to meet with the unnamed mall Santa . But he declined to meet the girl because he feared the 5-year-old pit bull . `` After the Santos family offered to remove the dog from the area , the building , Santa still refused to see the child , '' Julie Miller , a family friend who runs a Facebook page dedicated to Pup-Cake and service animals , told the Register . `` Autism is accompanied by many sensory issues , included self-harm behaviors and feeling overwhelmed at times by lights , sounds , especially when waiting , '' according to the dog 's Facebook page . `` Pup-cake the service dog 's job is to intervene in those moments . '' Word of the diss led to a viral campaign , # savePupcakesChristmas , with sympathizers angered over the incident posting comments on the Facebook page for The Shops at Mission Viejo . The mall posted a statement that said , `` We share in your concerns regarding the situation today involving a Santa at The Shops at Mission Viejo . We do not condone the behavior displayed by Santa and have worked with our partners at Noerr , the company that hires our Santas , to replace this Santa with one that is more compassionate to our guests ' needs . '' It later shared a note from Miller about how property management and the mall had moved swiftly to correct the Bad Santa problem . The mall added , `` We look forward to welcoming back the Santos family and Pup-Cake for a special Santa experience . '' A representative for the Noerr Programs , which provided the Santa and helper , said the pair have been transferred and given other duties . `` For 26 years , The Noerr Programs has devoted itself to sharing the heart of Santa through the creation of magical Christmas experiences for all children and their families , '' CEO Judy Noerr said in a statement . `` The entire team at The Noerr Programs sincerely apologizes for any distress caused by this situation , and truly regrets the incident . We have reached out to the girl 's family , in an effort to extend a private Santa visit with complimentary photos of both the child and her service dog . '' The Santos family has declined to be interviewed . Miller told the paper the family is pleased with the decision to replace the Santa and hopes it will lead to better awareness . `` They want people to get educated not about autism or pit bulls , but about the disabilities act so that little girls like Abcde wo n't go and see Santa and end up crying , '' she said .
A mall employee in California reportedly took away a child . The 7-year - old has rabbits and a pit bull as a companion animal . Santa company says he and his helper elf have been assigned other duties .