- Chico the dog ran away from home in the middle of the night, and went straight to the police station a mile away.
- The 1-year-old pup went right to the front desk of the Odessa Police Department in Texas.
- Officers on duty played with him and called Animal Control to see if he had a chip, but Chico ran away again before they could check.
- Chico went back home before his owner even woke up, but adorable photos of him at the station have since gone viral.
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One very smart dog has become an internet sensation after he ran away from home in the middle of the night – and went straight to the police station.
Chico the dog has stolen hearts across the nation after adorable photos showed him at the front desk of the Odessa Police Department in Texas.
The one-year-old pup looked as if he was reporting himself missing as he stood up on his hind legs to reach the desk.
Corporal Steve LeSuer told Insider that the Odessa police officers on duty loved playing with Chico, who walked in around 3:30 a.m.
"They loved interacting with him and played with him for awhile," LeSuer added.
Since Chico did not have a tag, the officers contacted Odessa Police Animal Control to see if he had a chip.
But, before they had a chance to check, Chico ran out the door.
The officers tried searching for the husky and German Shepherd mix, but he was nowhere to be found.
So they posted photos of the adorable pup on their Facebook page, where Chico quickly went viral.
"So this happy guy randomly strolled into the front desk of the police department last night," the post read. "We're thinking he wanted to apply for a K-9 position after eliminating a Lassie type situation."
"He was given lots of love and attention until he decided it was time for him to leave. He let himself out and after an exhausting search was not found."
Chico's owner Edward Alvarado didn't even know his pup had run off in the middle of the night. Chico was already back home, safe and sound.
Alvarado found out about the Facebook post from his nephew, who texted him: "Is that Chico?"
"I came outside and checked, but he was already there," Alvarado told Newswest9. "That's kind of cool. He knows where to go!"
LeSuer told Insider that Chico is welcome to visit the station - which is about a mile away from Alvarado's home - anytime.
"It's a great story," he added. "We joked that he came in to apply for a K-9 position or that he was trying to report something to us."
"It's not every day that something like this happens."
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