Patients and employees gathered at a hospital in Sacramento, Calif., last week to celebrate the retirement of one very dedicated employee: a therapy dog named Hazel.

For the past nine years, Hazel has worked to comfort sick kids at the Sutter Children's Center. According to the Sacramento Bee, the yellow Labrador Retriever was one of the first therapy dogs in the country to be employed full-time at a hospital.

Hazel will turn 11 on Independence Day, and her handlers decided that she had earned some well-deserved relaxation time following her many years of service.

Despite her retirement, Hazel's legacy will continue — two dogs named Greta and Millie already work at the hospital, and a third canine is in training to take over Hazel's job.

You can read more about her story at the Sacramento Bee. And check out these sweet photographs from the pup's ice cream retirement party.