Angus the C. Diff Detection Dog (in training)

Job Title
C. Diff Detection Dog (in training).

Department/Location
Quality & Patient Safety / Infection Control.

How long have you worked at VCH?
I’ve just started.

Tell us what you do at VCH in one or two sentences:
I’m currently training my “super sniffer” to find C. Diff in the environment in the hopes that no more patients have to experience what my mom did.

What’s your favourite thing about your work?
I get to combine work and play! Whenever I find the training box with the C.Diff smell, I get my toy as a reward. I wuv my toy! Besides,  everybody loves me and thinks I’m cute!

How does your work contribute to the VCH True North goals?
Can you bark INNOVATION? If I pass my training, I will be the first dog in North America and the second dog worldwide (there used to be a Beagle in the Netherlands, who detected C. Diff, but he’s now retired).

One thing we might be surprised to learn about you:
One of my distant uncles and aunties are working with Penn Vet to detect cancer.

Three things you always have in your fridge:

Even though the fridge is full with bacon and steak (yep, I definitely smell steak!) the only thing I get is a can of dog food. Not fair! (There’s also milk and eggs in there, but I don’t care for those). CAN SOMEONE PLEASE SEND ME MY OWN BACON???

Who or what inspires you?
The first guide dog, cause he was an innovator too (guide dogs date back to the 16th century). Well, there are of course the other dogs in my family tree that look for cancer, but than there is also my mom’s working dogs. See, my mom is a K9 handler and she trains and works with the big German Shepherds, who sniff out drugs and explosives. I wanted to do something similar but not as scary.

Most healthy habit:
Running, wrestling with my buddy Dodger (he’s also has a super sniffer), and napping (since that doesn’t always coincide with everybody else’s schedule, I have to sleep in a kennel in the dog room).

Favourite vacation spot:
Wherever my pack is.