This update: in-game mechanics cross-checked against community wikis and player reports
Black Eyes anomaly โ quick reference
Channel
On CCTV
Where to check
Check the CCTV feed
What you'll see
On the CCTV feed the face is covered by a black bar
A pair of realistic eyes stares back through the bar
How to confirm
CCTV-exclusive โ in person the patient can look completely ordinary.
If you let it in
Not documented by the community yet โ shutting the window is always safe and costs you nothing.
How to spot the Animal Hospital Black Eyes anomaly
This is a CCTV-exclusive tell โ in person the patient can look completely ordinary. If you're not in the habit of checking the camera feed before treating, this is exactly the anomaly type that slips past you.
Why this one needs the CCTV monitor station
Black Eyes does not show up when you look at the patient. It is visible only through the CCTV monitor station โ and it is one of 8 of the 19 anomalies that behave that way. Skipping that check to save a walk to the monitors and time off the floor is not saving you time; it is agreeing to miss 8 of the things you are being paid to catch.
Check
Catches
What skipping it costs you
Naked eye
8 of 19
8 anomalies you will never see
CCTV โ this one
8 of 19
8 anomalies you will never see
Polaroid
3 of 19
3 anomalies you will never see
One patient can carry more than one of these at once, so a clean naked-eye read is not a clean bill of health.
What happens if you let Black Eyes into the hospital
The specific recovery outcome for this anomaly hasn't been documented by the community yet โ we only publish what's confirmed. What is confirmed: letting an anomaly in usually triggers a Death Ritual, spawns a monster, or turns the patient into a Mimic. A wrong treatment kills an anomaly with no penalty to you (it just lowers your end-of-shift reward), and tasing or shooting a confirmed anomaly nets +2 sanity. Tasing or shooting a normal animal by mistake costs โ15 sanity โ when in doubt, shutting the window is always the safe move.
You have spotted it โ now what
You are at the monitor station, away from the door, which shapes the answer: this is the awkward case, because you still have to get back to the window before the patient is admitted โ identify it and move, rather than watching it longer than you need to.
1
Refuse it. Shutting the window costs nothing and ends the problem. It does not hurt your shift score, and it is always available.
2
Or put it down. A confirmed anomaly can be tased or shot, and doing so is worth +2 sanity. A wrong treatment also kills one with no sanity penalty โ it only lowers the end-of-shift reward.
3
What it costs to guess. Tasing or shooting a normal animal by mistake is โ15 sanity, nearly a quarter of the 61 you start with. That gap is the whole reason to confirm before acting rather than acting on a hunch.
An anomaly cannot be knocked out the way a normal patient can, so "it fainted, it must be fine" is not a test. Neither is slime on the floor โ patients drip it too.
The other 7 you are checking for at the same time
Once you are already looking through the CCTV monitor station, these cost you nothing extra to rule out. Knowing them as a set is what turns the check from a habit into a decision.
A severely stretched, warped body that only shows up on the camera feed. The shape actually changes each time you toggle the feed on and off, and even the printed photo distorts while the camera is open.
On the security camera feed, its face is covered by a black bar with a pair of unnervingly realistic eyes staring back through it. The primary way to catch it is checking the CCTV feed.
Can you see the Black Eyes anomaly with the naked eye?
No. It only shows up through the CCTV monitor station. It is one of 8 anomalies out of 19 that are invisible without it, which is the whole argument for not skipping that check.
What happens if I let a Black Eyes patient in?
The specific recovery outcome for this anomaly isn't documented by the community yet. Treat any confirmed anomaly the same way regardless: a wrong treatment kills them with no penalty to you but lowers your end-of-shift reward, and tasing or shooting a confirmed anomaly gives +2 sanity. When in doubt, shutting the window is always safe.
Verified against community data. Last checked: July 26, 2026.