SARASOTA, Fla. – Three days a week, Buffy greets visitors at the entrance to Doctors Hospital of Sarasota. If they grant permission, she sniffs their feet seeking a whiff of active COVID-19 infection.
Few decline the offer when they see the yellow Labrador retriever with a wagging tail. People generally don’t love going to a hospital, said CEO Robert Meade, but, “Who doesn’t love labs?” [TRENDING: Sheriff: Osceola deputies fired, suspended over ‘offensive remarks’ | Central Fla.
officials respond to mask advisory | Man shot at Cape Canaveral bar] Buffy was trained by Palmetto-based Southeastern Guide Dogs as part of a four-dog pilot program for scent detection.