I'm kind of surprised that staff in the hospital were doing it - I mean, it's a standard thing that a quiet, good-looking, well-looked-after dog will attract attention from strangers, particularly children, who want to pat it, but I'd kind of assumed that medically trained personnel were less likely to make such a disability-related faux pas. As proved in this thread, it's hardly uncommon knowledge that you Do Not fuss a working dog.