The Hidden Lives of Lab Animals

“Larry Carbone has spent his entire career thinking about what happens to animals in research labs. As a veterinarian with specialization in lab animal medicine, he has made friends with many caged creatures: monkeys, pythons, mice, shrimp. But he also has a Ph.D. in the history and philosophy of science, which gives him theoretical grounding to consider big ethical questions.”

“Thoroughly examines the numerous challenges that both laboratory animal veterinarians and scientists face when deciding which animals to use in their studies and how to ensure the welfare of those animals is both protected and enhanced.”

“This book is beautifully written in an easy-to-read style. It is thought-provoking and provides a comprehensive view of animal research from the point of view of someone with a veterinary background and a passion for treating animals that have nonconsensually given their lives for us. It would prove to be a rewarding read for aspiring lab animal vets, scientists who use animals in their work, and other stakeholders.”

“In his semi-autobiographical work, Larry offers a vision for more compassionate research while discussing both heartening medical successes and heartrending stories of animal suffering.”

“With clarity, balance, and no compromises , the text addresses in a thorough, transparent, and informative manner the many aspects that affect animal experimentation . Through Carbone’s words and testimony, readers will be able to navigate the intersection of science and animal rights, well-being and pain, achievements and mistakes, speciesism and sentience, ethics and politics.”

“Challenges some of the most widely held beliefs and assumptions within the field, particularly about … equating animal contributions to research to their necessity for the research; using Replacement, Reduction, and Refinement (the 3Rs) as a framework for animal research ethics; and viewing the provision of enrichment as above the standard of care rather than as part of the standard of care.”

“Carbone wishes there weren’t even a role for lab animal veterinarians. He spent his career working to better the lives of animals in labs because, as he writes in his book, the reality is they are there, and he expects they’ll continue to be there for some time.”

“This is an unusually thoughtful book—part memoir, part history, part ethical inquiry, and part practical guide. Taken together, these elements add up to a remarkable work of moral reflection.”

“The book examines species ranging from pythons and fleas to dogs and gorillas, and notes that the ethical complexity of experimentation is profound. How do we recognize animal pain? Which human medical conditions justify animal testing? Which scientific disciplines truly benefit from it?”

“This book … should be widely read. With decades of experience as a veterinarian associated with several American universities, Carbone … has a broad perspective on how research animals are treated in the US… . The book is thoughtful, wise, and even painstaking, rendering it long and thorough.”

“This book will appeal to a large public of professionals in the world of animal experiments, as well as the general public interested in this topic. Larry Carbone’s position is to be applauded: well-informed, clearly stated, and without any kind of prejudices, indeed a rare and very precious accomplishment.”

“Offers a unique and valuable insider’s viewpoint on the current state of animal experimentation.Carbone writes from the perspective that ‘animal research remains important for medical and scientific progress and that animals suffer far more than is justifiable in labs.’”

Larry Carbone, former Director of the Institutional Animal Care and Use Program at the University of California, San Francisco, is author of What Animals Want.

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