Melanie D.G. Kaplan joins Frank Schaeffer to talk about dogs, science, forgiveness, and why love still matters.
What happens when a beagle bred for laboratory research gets a second life—and changes a human forever?
Journalist and author Melanie D.G. Kaplan joins me for a conversation about her book Lab Dog: A Beagle and His Human Investigate the Surprising World of Animal Research.
It’s also our December pick for It Has to Be Read.
At the center of the story is Hammy—a former lab dog who survived isolation, fear, and trauma, and went on to teach lessons about forgiveness, patience, joy, and what it truly means to be alive.
This episode explores:
The hidden reality of animal research in the U.S.
Why tens of thousands of dogs are still used in labs
How love and companionship can rehabilitate trauma
What dogs teach humans about forgiveness and presence
Why compassion may be our last shared moral language
If you love dogs, care about ethics, or believe stories can change the world, I hope you’ll watch, listen, and share.
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Hi there! My book, LAB DOG: A Beagle and His Human Investigate the Surprising World of Animal Research, was published by Hachette in October 2025.
I've written for The Atlantic, The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, U.S. News & World Report, National Parks and People. I've interviewed Miss Piggy, Jon Bon Jovi, Laird Hamilton, Isabella Rossellini, Allison Janney, Katie Couric, Alan Greenspan, James Dyson and hundreds of people you've never heard of but who I consider rock stars. A couple years ago, I was a MIT Knight Science Journalism Project Fellow and Vermont Law School Media Fellow. I graduated from Syracuse University's Newhouse School of Public Communications and Columbia Journalism School.
A third-generation Washingtonian, I'm the daughter of an engineer with a ham radio business and an artist who enjoys wordplay. I began driving cross-country in 2007, with beagle Darwin, the inspiration behind, With Dog As My Co-Pilot: A Cross-Country Drive Seems Like a Walk in the Park. Beagle Hammy and I made that coast-to-coast trip several times, visiting almost all 50 states. We lived together for more than a decade in an 11-foot-wide house in Washington, D.C. You can read more about Hammy in my piece for Washingtonian.