Saving Molly: A Research Veterinarian's Choices

by James Mahoney

The puppy was dying when James Mahoney found her. Molly was not the first dying animal the research veterinarian had seen. But Molly's struggle sent him barreling over rough Jamaican mountains in a borrowed car, searching for the equipment he'd need to save her. More than a story about a dog, this is the story of a rescued man. He asks himself How can he spend his days with chimpanzees locked behind bars and still say that he loves them? What do we owe them for their participation in AIDS research? Why is saving a single runt puppy important? In the tradition of James Herriot, Mahoney's story spans fifty years of living with animals and with the two-legged primates who study them. Written by the man Jane Goodall called "one of the most gentle and compassionate people I know," Saving Molly is an important addition to the debate on animal research and a heartfelt meditation on one man's life. With an introduction by Roger A. Caras, president of the ASPCA.

"He is concerned about the pain and the suffering of the animals. That's what makes Jim Mahoney different." --Alex Pacheco, founder of PETA

Genres: Nonfiction, Animals

234 pages, Hardcover

First published January 5, 1998

About the author

Veterinarian

Reviews

[Angiebookworm · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an interesting look back in time to how things used to be, in both animal research, and daily life, as observed by the author. What is described as present-day moral dilemmas from the author's perspective, we can now look at in hindsight. There are safe, effective vaccines for Hepatitis A, B, & C, which were still running rampant when the author was working with chimps in the lab. I see commercials for AIDS drugs on TV regularly, and there is no doubt that his work and that like his were instrumental in creating them. The fact that getting an HIV+ diagnosis isn't an automatic death sentence nowadays thanks to his work is amazing to think about how far we've come. When I was a kid it was still considered a new disease and there was no prevention, treatment, nor cure. Hell, we have covid vaccines now partly due to animal research. For all the, "Does the end justify the means?" questions the author asks himself, he still continued his work, and I, for one, am grateful to him and all the chimps in his lab, because I never had to worry about Hepatitis since they were part of my routine childhood vaccinations. I am glad to read about how he saw the inadequacies in the treatment of the research animals and endeavored to make their lives as full as possible for living specimens and provide retirement solutions rather than euthanasia when they were deemed no longer useful. Even though I knew he did save Molly (the title is a spoiler and I wouldn't have picked up the book if I thought there was any chance of the dog dying of anything besides old age), I was still right there with Dr. Mahoney as he relates the dire straits the little puppy was in and the tension and terror of the race against time to gather supplies and perform a complicated procedure on a remote island. The interspersed tales of his life as a vet and at the lab with chimps & monkeys all add something to the story of the dog Molly. The book isn't just about her, but about everything that led to the veterinarian trying to save her, and everything that changed for him since. It's a heartwarming, easy read, though not without some sad parts. Highly recommended for any animal lover.

[Chris · Rating 2 out of 5]

The author seemed very conflicted about his work.
The irony seemed to be that he went to extrodinary lengths to save a dog
that nature had selected to not survive and yet his work forced him to shorten
the lives of healthy primates that did not deserve to die. (i am not critizing his
work, as much as I hate the idea of animal testing it is a terrible reality)