Dog

Draft Chapter Outline: Not for distribution or quotation.

This is the first of four “species chapters” that show how different kinds of animals (dogs, rabbits, primates, and mice) have shaped the laws and protections we have developed for animals in labs. Some protections cross over to other kinds of animals; others are just for the animal that inspired them. More than any other animal, since the 1800s, dogs have been the poster animal for activists’ efforts to limit scientists’ animal experiments. Dogs’ identity as our friends, allies, and dependents led us to focus on how labs acquire their animals, whether snatching them up on the streets, commandeering them from animal shelters, or breeding them en masse on commercial dog farms. Dogs’ popular image as playful athletes always on the go put them at the vanguard for calls for more exercise for caged animals. Dogs’ role as family members has put them front and center in state-by-state efforts to go beyond our outdated federal laws to require labs to find homes for animals after their research tour of duty has ended.