“Bolman keeps a nuanced focus on how the beagle’s trajectory sheds light on what it means for an animal to be considered more ‘human’ than others, and on how the practices of breeders and kennel clubs intertwined in surprising ways with those of scientific research institutions. The result is an intriguing deconstruction of a little discussed, ethically complex issue.”

Publishers Weekly

“This isn’t just a book for the beagle obsessed: Bolman has found something for everyone fascinated by our most ancient friendship in the animal kingdom. Laboratory dogs may be a side of the human-canine relationship that most people would prefer not to think about, but Bolman has a knack for finding stones others in the ever-growing literature on dogs had not thought to turn over and mixes the uplifting and the macabre with a light touch. He takes the reader from ancient hunting hounds to modern lab dogs by way of eugenics, Snoopy, the Atomic Energy Commission’s appallingly named ‘Project Hot Dog,’ and beagles’ role in the battle to prove smoking causes lung cancer. The result fascinates, entertains, and gives pause to contemplate man’s inhumanity to hound in equal measure.”

Clive D. L. Wynne, author of “Dog Is Love: Why and How Your Dog Loves You”

“Lab Dog offers a comprehensive, insightful, and sympathetic account of the transformation of the beagle from a sporting and pet breed into an experimental model or tool. Bolman has addressed a difficult topic: his detailed descriptions of experimental procedures are often dismaying, along with his discussion of the mass production of beagles for what became an international scientific and pharmacological supply chain. But these vivid and clearsighted evocations are part of what makes his analysis so persuasive.”

Harriet Ritvo, author of “Noble Cows and Hybrid Zebras: Essays on Animals and History”