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Dr. Harlow is one of the key characters in Animal Hospital, and he's clearly keeping some dark secrets from you. If you want to learn more about him, you'll have to find a way to get inside his office and investigate everything in it.
This guide will help you get straight into his office without having to do any weird glitches, since you can actually enter it without having to break in!
If you only need a list of easter eggs, scroll further down or click here to skip to that section!
Getting Access to Dr. Harlow's Office
In a nutshell, you have to reach around Shift 16 to get access to his office, which is located in the restricted area behind the store. If you aren't familiar with that spot, check out our guide on all the locations in Animal Hospital for reference.
Shift 16 is just the usual time this event happens. It can also occur a shift or two late/early, give or take.
Around this time, Dr. Harlow will wait by the entrance of the waiting area, and you should notice a couple of boxes with a "Confidential" label in front of him. When this happens, you have to talk to him.
Upon speaking to him, he'll say that he needs your help bringing some boxes into his office. The number of boxes that spawn is based on how many people are in your team.
Once you pick up one of the boxes, Dr. Harlow will start walking towards the door labeled "No Access" in the store area, which will now be open. Follow him inside.
Through the door, you'll find the Restricted area, and straight ahead will be Dr. Harlow's office.
Before you can investigate the entire office, make sure to stack the boxes in the green outline by the door. If Dr. Harlow is already waiting there, he'll be standing beside the table you need to stack boxes on:
Congratulations, you should now have full access to his personal office!
What's Inside Dr. Harlow's Office? - Easter Eggs & More
There are a lot of easter eggs and bits of vague lore that will let us speculate more about Dr. Harlow's mysterious origin and what he's been up to in this anomalous hospital.
Below are some of the more notable things you'll find laying around.
The Burnt Family Portrait
At the edge of his desk is a burnt family portrait that leaves us speculating on what happened in his personal life.
Could it have been a photo saved from a house fire? Did his house burn down accidentally, or was it intentional? Maybe he has a family member who became an anomaly?
Call 808 For Cleanup
On the side of his desk, you'll find a note that says "Call 808 for cleanup". This is a reference to the Animal Corporation's personnel, who wear hazmat suits and can occasionally show up outside the hospital.
In the shifts before he lets you into his office, you'll notice that Dr. Harlow speaks with an NPC wearing a hazmat suit outside the main entrance, and they're the ones who have been sending "Confidential" boxes to the hospital.
This "cleanup" could very well be a hint as to what happens whenever you fail a run, as it has been confirmed that there have been many other staff members that came before you.
The Interview Transcript
Above the shelves to the right of the room, there are a couple of notes (not visible from below) you can read hidden beside a box:
You can parkour up here by jumping on the table at the side, and upon reading the notes, you'll realize that they're a two-part interview transcript detailing the death of an intern.
In it, it shows that Dr. Harlow has already called for "cleanup" in the past, and that you are essentially the intern replacing the one who got killed by an unknown entity.
Ratthew Keeps Breaking In
At some point, Ron will enter Dr. Harlow's office and complain that Ratthew keeps breaking in and stealing his paperwork.
The ensuing conversation reveals that Ratthew knows some secrets that could ruin the hospital, further implying that something sinister is happening behind the scenes.
This is further compounded by the email on Dr. Harlow's computer, which states that materials used for medicine "become different" when left in their boxes overnight.
You'll also notice a broken vent in one of the office's corners. This shows that Ratthew has also broken into Harlow's office:
The Anomaly Gene
In the corner, next to the whiteboard, is a bookshelf with one book that you can inspect. It's the brown one secured by a clip.
Upon picking it up, you'll see the book's title: On the Discovery and Nature of the "Anomaly Gene" - John Arthur Nomaly
This implies that Dr. Harlow is actively studying the anomalies' genes, either because he is working on a cure or he's the one responsible for creating them in the first place. The next easter egg ties into this theory.
The Certificates & Letters
Behind Dr. Harlow's desk are a set of certificates. They seem innocent enough, but with what we know so far, these could also be a hint of what he's up to.
Here is what you'll find:
- Left: A diploma from the University of Higher Learning for his Master's degree in Animal Science
- Middle: A "Certificate of Achievement" for assisting the Animal Corporation in their research.
- Right: A "Certificate of Appreciation" for 5 years of service at the Animal Hospital
Together with the other hints in this room, it's clear that Dr. Harlow has been doing some "confidential" science work for a long time now.
The Congratulatory Letter
Below the certificates, you'll find a note tucked into a book. It's a letter from a mysterious unnamed doctor, addressed to Dr. Harlow
This one says that Harlow's been making good progress on his "assignment", whatever that may be.
It also states that he should pay the "Reception actors" on time, implying that some of the animals, likely the no-name NPCs that merely sit in the waiting area, are being paid to hang around there.
The To-Do List
On the surface of the table below the certificates, you'll also find a To-Do list. It shows some shady reminders like:
- "Process Ron's shipment before it processes itself".
- "Feed the thing in the supply closet"
- "Stop referring to the medicine as "the batch" in front of visitors"
The 99 Nights Deer
In the waiting area right outside Dr. Harlow's office, where you stacked the boxes earlier, you'll notice an odd object hidden behind a potted plant in the corner:
This is a plushie of the Deer monster from 99 Nights in the Forest. The two games aren't really connected, but a collab could be in the works as there is a similar easter egg for Animal Hospital in 99 Nights in the Forest.
