Lab Dog

Author: Melanie D.G. Kaplan / Publisher: Seal Press / Pages: 352

A beagle named Hammy was fostered and then adopted by Melanie Kaplan. But Hammy wasn’t just any dog: He had been in a research laboratory for almost four years prior to his arrival at Kaplan’s home. As a journalist and investigator, Kaplan sought to learn about her beloved dog’s previous life. Her book, Lab Dog: A Beagle and His Human Investigate the Surprising World of Animal Research, weaves this journey into her exploration of the long history of animal use—especially dogs—in experimentation and the alternatives developed to reduce or replace animal use. Kaplan includes diverse perspectives gleaned from interviews with a variety of individuals—from experimenters to activists, veterinarians, legislators, ethicists, and pioneers in the growing field of alternatives.

Lab Dog also highlights expanding efforts to rehome animals following their use in the laboratory. (AWI’s position has long been that animals should be permitted to retire after their use and that funding agencies and research institutions should earmark funds for their care for the remainder of their lives.) The book addresses points of contention over whether a mandate is necessary to facilitate placement of more animals (and of what species) and over who conducts the placement: Some organizations handle it anonymously while others do it in a public way, and some emphasize the animals’ “service” to scientific research while others characterize it as a “rescue” from labs.

The book is extremely informative regarding these very complex subjects, though there are a few missteps: Kaplan states that all entities regulated under the Animal Welfare Act are subject to annual inspections when, in fact, only research facilities are (and even these may undergo only a very limited partial inspection). Kaplan also applauds Charles River Laboratories for developing an “innovative” test that reduces the use of horseshoe crab blood in endotoxin testing, neglecting to mention that the company has long resisted US adoption of an alternative to horseshoe crab blood that is widely used elsewhere.

Nevertheless, people with an interest in the history of animal research, its current state, and what the future holds should find this book a compelling read.

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