If you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em.

That, apparently, was the come-what-may mantra of this adorably shaggy dog who was recently hauled in by police in Wisconsin.

The dog, named Tate, had been found out and about the Wisconsin town of Chippewa Falls without any owner in sight. A Good Samaritan decided to alert the cops, and before long, Tate was “arrested” and brought back to the station.

Now, this might be a stress-inducing scenario for your average scofflaw pup — but not for Tate. He played it cool. And then some.

“He fit in very well,” a Chippewa Falls Police spokesperson told The Dodo.

As the police worked to track down his owner, Tate chose to assign himself a job at the station — that of greeter.

Hopping up to the visitor window, he made himself available for any duty.

“I thought it was so funny,” the spokesperson said.

Tate wasn’t given a badge, of course, but he did get plenty of pets.

“We all love having the dogs stop by so we can give them some water, treats, and of course some back rubs!” the spokesperson said.

Despite Tate’s apparent eagerness to join the force, in the end it wasn’t meant to be. But it’s not all bad news.

“The dog was returned to his owner!” the police spokesperson said, adding, perhaps, with a tinge of longing for their one-time coworker:

“It was great to have him with us.”