"A tender, beautifully written story that every dog lover should read."

—Dr. Brian Hare, author of New York Times beststeller The Genius of Dogs

pre-order

the book

Out October 14, 2025

When journalist Melanie D.G. Kaplan adopted her beagle Hammy, all she knew was that he had spent nearly four years in a research lab. • Curious to know more about this gentle creature’s past, Kaplan—with Hammy in tow—embarks on a quest for answers. How did Hammy end up in a research facility? Why are we still using millions of animals a year in experiments? What have we learned from them? Is there another way? • In Lab Dog, Kaplan investigates the breeding and use of beagles for biomedical research, drug and product testing, and education. She takes readers on a journey, peeking behind laboratory doors and visiting with researchers, activists, ethicists, veterinarians, lawmakers, and innovators. Along the way, she finds thoughtful and caring humans on all sides of the debate, explores promising developments in nonanimal testing, and discovers puzzle pieces from Hammy’s past. Equal parts journalism and love story, Lab Dog offers a nuanced view on our relationship with a species that we both love and exploit, and a reason to hope for a better future for all. 

LAB DOG is among the most eye-opening and important exposés ever reported. It changed the way I think and taught me so much, best of all about the boundless capacities of love.

—Silas House, New York Times bestselling author of Lark Ascending

Praise for LAB DOG

Melanie Kaplan’s heartfelt story of her tender relationship with one rescued “lab dog,” Hammy, tells it all. This is an eye-opening and deeply personal book, for anyone to read, whether or not you live with a former lab dog.”  

—Marc Bekoff, Ph.D., author of Dogs Demystified: An A-to-Z Guide to All Things Canine