Most of us are accustomed to hearing about security dogs, sometimes known as guard dogs. There are many breeds of dogs that can be used for this purpose and their watchfulness and adherence to taking care of business makes them awesome for the job. I don’t think anyone would argue that dogs can do a good job at standing guard, but what about a cat? If you were to ask people at the Epworth Hospital in Richmond, Australia, they would tell you without a shadow of a doubt that cats are absolutely perfect for taking care of business and watching over things.
When the staff at Epworth Hospital started seeing an orange tabby cat show up in the morning, they didn’t really give it much thought. It wasn’t long, however, before they realized that this feline was there to stay. The cat would come morning after morning and before long, the staff started calling him Elwood. They did more than simply watch him come and go, they made sure that he had fresh water during the day and was comfortable while he was hanging out. It just seemed as if he was always interested in what was taking place.
Interestingly, Elwood had his own collar with a bell but most people assumed that he was a stray. One morning, pathologist Chantel Trollip saw that his collar was gone and began to wonder what had taken place. After all, his collar had been replaced with his own ID badge from the hospital! It seemed as if someone in the security department had taken him under their wing.
“I first noticed his ID badge on him in June,” Chantel said later. “I was actually having a case of the sads that day, but seeing his ID badge turned my whole mood around!”
Before long, they also found out that Elwood isn’t a stray. He has a family and they live across the street from the hospital. Good thing for Elwood that he doesn’t have to commute to work very far, so he is there every day faithfully.
Elwood doesn’t try to go inside of the hospital, he just works his way around the building and watches for danger.
“I think any potential criminals are thwarted by his sweetness when passersby see him!” Chantel explained. “He has a very sweet chirp of a meow, and I think anyone with any ill will would automatically change their plans upon hearing it, and so I assume this is his way of getting the job done.”
I often feel as if I have seen everything, but this takes the cake!
