The Hidden Lives of Lab Animals: A Vet's Vision for a More Humane Future

by Larry Carbone

“Beautifully written…a comprehensive view of animal research.”― SCIENCE A lifelong veterinarian invites us into animal labs―and shares his vision for more compassionate research.
 
For decades, laboratory veterinarian Larry Carbone has advocated for both animal welfare and medical progress. In The Hidden Lives of Lab Animals, he offers an insider's perspective on the ethics of using animals in scientific research. Recounting both heartening medical triumphs and heartrending stories of animal suffering, Carbone grapples with how to weigh scientific advancement against harms to our fellow sentient creatures―and how some of those harms can and should be avoided.
 
With a scientist's head and an animal lover's heart, Carbone shows how addressing animals' physical and emotional needs not only enhances their well-being but also leads to more robust scientific research. Authoritative and compassionate, The Hidden Lives of Lab Animals reveals the complex reality of what animals experience under the care of scientists, what humans gain from their involuntary service, and what we owe them moving forward.

Genres: Science, Nonfiction

360 pages, Hardcover

Published February 17, 2026

Reviews

[Carol Palmer · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have been working in laboratory animal science since 1995, so I read this book to see what a veterinarian had to say.

Even though this was published in 2026, I picked out some things that have already improved. I'm lucky, I've worked at a university that has a really good animal care program. Luckily, we no longer have primates. He's big into primates. We mainly have rats and mice. Even though they are not covered by the Animal Welfare Act, my university's animal program takes very good care of them. I've had an MD say that the animals get better care than the humans at the hospital next door.

People who know absolutely nothing about laboratory animal science will probably think that the way laboratory animals are treated is terrible. Luckily, he does touch on the animal protocols which have to scientifically prove why animals need to be used and also they are using the lowest one on the phylogenetic tree.

Honestly, I cannot recommend this book to people unfamiliar with biomedical research.

[Dennis Travis · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have a friend who is an "animal activist" -- she protests at university campuses and research dog breeding facilities. She had convinced me that the whole animal research enterprise is a big racket to get millions of dollars of research dollars for scientists, and that no medical or scientific progress comes from animal research -- just cruelty and torture. But I always thought -- that couldn't be right, could it? A different friend (a scientist) recommended this book, which was exactly what I was looking for. It's a balanced account from an insider (not someone making a fortune from animal research) who has spent his life taking care of laboratory animals. His thesis is that we have all gained a lot of progress from the suffering of animals in science labs, but that we could be doing a lot more to take care of those animals in more humane conditions. I feared the book would be quite dry, but it's beautifully written, as well. Very highly recommended.

[Aprovertte · Rating 4 out of 5]

lots of super interesting information! felt somewhat arbitrarily organized and repetitive