While most security guards look pretty tough, Epworth Hospital in Richmond, Australia has recently “employed” a little lookout who’s a total softie. Meet Elwood, the new security guard at Epworth who keeps law and order while enjoying the love and attention from the staff and patients.
One staff member who’s particularly fond of Elwood is Chantel Trollip, who works as a pathologist at the hospital. She first met the red and white tabby around a year ago when she began picking up more shifts and kept spotting him around the hospital grounds. One day in July 2020, she noticed that he was wearing a collar with an ID badge that’s identical to the same one she and the other hospital staff wear. It even has its own call code on the back. “I was actually having a case of the ‘sads' that day,” Trollip tells my Modern Met. “But seeing his ID badge turned my whole mood around!”
While it’s not clear who made the ID badge, it looks hilariously official. Complete with his portrait, name, and job title, Elwood wears it proudly while he surveys the hospital premises. Adorable Elwood might not look tough enough to protect the hospital from any unwanted trouble, but he actually uses his cuteness as a tactic. “I think any potential criminals are thwarted by his sweetness when passersby see him,” says Trollip. “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.”
At first, the hospital staff presumed Elwood was a stray, but they recently discovered that he lives just across the street. The conscientious kitty comes to work every day, and he takes his job pretty seriously. “He is lovely and friendly but not overly affectionate, he enjoys a good pat but likes to keep things short and move around a fair bit,” says Trollip. “He is on the security team after all, has to make sure everyone coming and going gets checked.”
Unsurprisingly, Elwood is one of the most popular staff members at the hospital. “He’s all we talk about! Even the regular patients know him by name now,” says Trollip. “It’s so nice to see him and pet him on our way in or out from work.”
Scroll down to see photos of Elwood at work.
Meet Elwood, the new security guard at Epworth Hospital in Richmond, Australia.
He's been hanging around the hospital grounds for around a year, but he's recently been promoted as part of the security team and has even been given his own ID badge.
Epworth Hospital: Website | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | YouTube
My Modern Met granted permission to feature images by Chantel Trollip.
Related Articles:
Two Determined Cats Keep Trying to Sneak Into This Japanese Art Museum
‘Bodega Cats’ Instagram Features Furry Friends That Think They Run These Small Stores
Study Reveals That Cats Are Bonded to Their Humans Just as Much as Dogs and Babies
Here’s the Right Way to Hold Your Cat, According to a Helpful Vet
