Publishing date: 14.10.2025 (DD/MM/YYYY)
Thank you to NetGalley and Basic Books for the ARC. My opinions are my own.

Animal right have always been an interest of mine that has never went further than watching documentaries and researching proper care for animals we have had in our family. This book showcases some breaches of said rights.

In Lab Dog you get:
- Exploration of research agencies and rescue organizations
- In depth details of the testing and experiments of the animals (please mind the trigger warnings)
- What other animals are also used in testing
- Infuriating statistics

The main dog's (Hammy) story is the second spotlight in this book. The other is focused on the testing, rescuing, and facts surrounding both topics. It reads both as an essay and a story. I have to warn everyone interested that this is a very emotionally heavy book. You will be sad and feel bad.

I would recommend this book to animal rights enthusiasts, and those who own pets rescued from research agencies.

Giving this 3 stars. I had a bit of a jarring experience while reading this due to the style switching between the different sections, but it was a necessary read for me.

Wow, I don't even know where to begin! From the title alone you know that this will be a heavy book, and yet it still caught me by surprise. You follow the story of a dog owner's quest to figure out the early life of her dog, Hammy, who was rescued from a research lab. The author explores both the agencies involved in conducting research on dogs (and other animals), as well as the organizations trying to rescue and ban testing on animals. Hammy's story is the backbone of the book and provides a welcome comfort and break in between the author's investigations into universities, government agencies, and the general rage that comes up when reading about the conditions many dogs were subjected to. You can genuinely feel the compassion and emotion in Kaplan's writing, especially when she talks about Hammy. The ending made me cry and appreciate all the dogs anywhere and everywhere, but especially Hammy.

⭐️ Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this book! ⭐️

Beagles.

Prior to this read, my only knowledge of this inquisitive breed was fictionally, "Snoopy", and non-fictionally, "His" and "Hers", canine residents of Presidential Lyndon Johnson's household. The antics of the former with his pal "Woodstock" in the Sunday funnies spanned many a childhood.

Given this, it was shocking to discover their exploitation by researchers and scientists both here in the U.S. and around the world. From birth where this breed was deliberately bred to solely serve as experimentations to death. Jaw dropping is a word that does not fully encompass what they are subjected to. With the author interviewing a variety of sources from activists to researchers, the reader is given a top down look from the laws that are regulating the industry, the governmental agencies that delineate these guidelines and the companies that have circumvented them.

The author's journalistic background leans heavily in the writing style. Often felt the chapters were akin to lengthy separate, newspaper articles. For me, it was a little jarring as each chapter seemed to less be part of an overall read of one book than a collection of articles. Even with Hammy (her rescue beagle from this world of experiments) found that when she anthropomorphized him it detracted rather than enhanced the read.

This ARC was provided by the publisher, Basic Books | Seal Press via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and Basic Books Seal Press for an ARC of lab dog.

In July 2024 we adopted our beagle, Bandit, a surplus lab testing dog who was then sent to a shelter with a prison training program. We received minimal information from the shelter about his past and I have always been curious about the lab he was in and what his life was like before he came to us so I was super excited to find this book. I will say I learned a ton of incredibly interesting information about the history and purpose of testing on beagles and other animals, but I ultimately had to DNF at 46%. Many of the details about the conditions and treatment of the animals are horrifying, and while I understand why the author needed to include the details in the book, I just became depressed every time I thought of picking the book back up. A very worthwhile read, but not one I could emotionally endure to the end.

Melanie Kaplan adopted a beagle who had spent years in a research lab. Her questions about how her dog became a lab experiment led her to investigate what had occurred to lead to this. In her journey to find answers, the author examines how and why her dog became an experiment subject. As he delves into the story, she takes readers on a journey through labs and discusses all things related to researchers. She provides a fascinating tale of things that became what they are today. This book provides answers to fill in the many gaps interested readers may have. It also provides good background and insights into how the many organizations who fight for animals came to be and exist, as well as providing some detail about their origins and development in the world of animal care and concern. It should be required reading for anyone who genuinely cares and is concerned about our furry friends. I received this from NetGalley to read and review.