Police officers need to be tough and able to intimidate criminals, which is why a friendly dog like Gavel did not fit the bill as a police dog. Thankfully, Gavel has since found a new job that is much better suited to his personality.

This photo makes it clear just how depressed being a police officer made Gavel. He did not like it at all!

Gavel is a German Shepherd from Queensland, Australia who was thrown out of his police dog training program for being too friendly. Staffers did not know what to do with him at first, but then they realized that Gavel’s gregarious personality was perfect for politics. That’s how he ended up living in the Government House, the official home of the Queensland Governor, as the Vice-Regal Dog!

“There were lots of comments from people at Open Day on the weekend expressing how much they enjoyed following via social media Gavel’s progression from aspiring police pooch to Vice-Regal Dog,” read a post on the Governor of Queensland Paul de Jersey AC’s Facebook page. “The truth is that we at Government House have loved sharing his story with you!”

Instead of tracking down criminals, Gavel now gets to interact with people at political events. (We know what you’re thinking!) Furthermore, he has been given his own ceremonial coat that features the state’s coat of arms.

“He has outgrown four ceremonial coats, undergone a career change (his official title is now Gavel VRD, ‘Vice-Regal Dog’), and brought untold joy to the lives of the governor, Mrs. de Jersey, Government House staff, and the thousands of Queenslanders who have since visited the estate,” de Jersey said.

“We hope Gavel is with us for a long, long time into the future,” de Jersey continued.

We’re so glad that Gavel found the place where he belongs!

Meet Gavel now in the video below!