Gaming How-To

Animal Hospital: How to Get Dr. Harlow’s Secret Interaction

Survive to Shift 16 or 17, carry the confidential boxes into the Restricted office, and stay to hear Harlow and Ron talk about Ratthew.

Survive to Shift 16 or 17, carry the confidential boxes into the Restricted office, and stay to hear Harlow and Ron talk about Ratthew.

Dr. Harlow hides a private exchange with Ron from Accounting that plays out inside his office in Animal Hospital. Reaching it means surviving deep into a run and accepting a delivery task that finally opens the door to the Restricted section, where you can stand in the room and listen to the two of them discuss Ratthew, the mouse patient.

Quick answer: Reach Shift 16 or 17, talk to Dr. Harlow when he appears at the entrance with boxes, carry every “Confidential” box into his office in the Restricted area, then stay inside the room until Ron from Accounting arrives to speak with him.


When the Dr. Harlow interaction triggers

The event only becomes available during Shift 16 or Shift 17, so you need to survive that far into a single run before it can appear. There is no shortcut that skips the earlier shifts.

You will know the sequence has started when Dr. Harlow shows up at the entrance of the hospital with a couple of boxes placed next to him. Speak to him there, and he asks you to move the boxes to his office inside the Restricted section.


How to carry the boxes into the Restricted office

Accept Dr. Harlow’s request at the entrance. This is what grants you access to the doctor’s office, which is otherwise off-limits.
Pick up a box marked “Confidential” by holding the E key. Each box has to be carried one at a time.
Walk to the Restricted area, go through the Office door, and place the box on the shelf on the left side of the room. Depositing the boxes does not drain your Sanity meter, so you can take the trip without penalty.
Green Deposit prompt highlighting the E key while placing a box on the office shelf
Repeat until every box is on the shelf, then step into Dr. Harlow’s main office room. He will sit down and start working at his computer, which confirms the delivery worked and sets up the next part of the event.

How to view the conversation between Harlow and Ron

During the same shift, Ron from Accounting comes to visit Dr. Harlow inside the office. Do not leave the room. Stay put and the two will begin talking, and the whole exchange centers on Ratthew.

Ron tells the doctor that Ratthew keeps breaking into his office. He worries that the mouse may have taken important records, documents, or other classified material belonging to the Animal Corporation. Dr. Harlow’s response is to ask him to calm down.

Office dialogue warning that Ratthew keeps breaking in and may take important contracts and records

The exchange ties back to an earlier thread. On one of his visits, Ratthew mentions chewing up classified documents that were kept in Ron’s office, something that nearly landed the accountant in trouble. This later talk makes clear the problem never went away and that Ratthew is still eating paperwork Ron needs.


What the interaction reveals

The scene ends with Dr. Harlow promising to handle the Ratthew situation. Even though he describes Ratthew as a “problem… with a good heart,” his tone points toward taking firmer action against the character rather than letting it slide.

That promise reads as a setup for the lore expansion planned for the game, giving players an early hint of where the Animal Corporation storyline is heading before it plays out.

DetailWhat to know
Shift windowShift 16 or Shift 17
TriggerDr. Harlow appears at the entrance with boxes
Box pickupHold E on each “Confidential” box
Drop-offShelf on the left side of the Restricted office
Sanity costNone while depositing boxes
PayoffRon visits Harlow; stay to hear the Ratthew talk

Keep in mind that Ratthew has been visiting the hospital since before your intern shifts began, so the two characters have likely crossed paths well before this scene. You can also speak with Dr. Harlow directly inside the office if you want to learn more about him while you are there.