Perspectives S38/Ep21 A Fresh take on a Mother's Day story

Sometimes the most powerful stories begin with a simple question: Who are you, and where have you been? For journalist Melanie D.G. Kaplan, that question came after adopting her beagle, Hammy a gentle dog who had spent nearly four years inside a research laboratory. What started as curiosity about one dog’s past quickly opened the door to a much larger and more complicated world one where millions of animals are still used each year in research, testing, and education. In her book, Lab Dog: A Beagle and His Human Investigate the Surprising World of Animal Research, Kaplan takes us behind laboratory doors, introducing us to the people on all sides of this issue researchers, activists, veterinarians, and lawmakers while also piecing together the story of Hammy himself. It’s part investigation… part love story… and ultimately, a thoughtful look at the relationship between humans and the animals we both cherish and rely on.