The “remarkable” (Dr. Jane Goodall) story of a beagle’s past, and the future of animal research 

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, as well as the broader world of animal research, 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.

Melanie D. G. Kaplan is a longtime independent journalist whose travel and science writing has appeared in the Atlantic, the Washington Post, the Wall Street Journal, and National Parks magazine. She is a graduate of Columbia Journalism School, a 2021–2022 MIT Knight Science Journalism fellow, and a third-generation Washington, DC, native. Kaplan has lived most of her life with hounds.

Mike Tidwell is a longtime Takoma Park author and climate activist. His previous six books include Bayou Farewell (2003) about the disappearing wetlands in south Louisiana. As a contributing writer for The Washington Post, he has won four Lowell Thomas Awards, the highest prize in American travel journalism. In 2002 he founded the Chesapeake Climate Action Network, where he has led local and national campaigns for clean energy. He lives on Willow Avenue in Takoma Park with his wife Beth and their cat Macy Gray.

If you’d like to purchase this title online and still support People’s Book, follow the link below:

https://bookshop.org/a/88548/9781541604988

This is an in-person event. Seated capacity at People’s Book is 50 patrons. Standing room is an option. All events are first-come, first-served seating. Accessible seating is always available.