Saving Molly

January 5, 1998
"I have never seen myself as a spokesman for animal research," Mahoney writes in the prologue to this searching life snapshot. "My mission, as I see it, is to encourage a gentler, more compassionate approach towards animals in the laboratory." Mahoney is a London-born research veterinarian who works with primates to find cures for human diseases like AIDS. His Laboratory for Experimental Medicine and Surgery in Primates (LEMSIP) in New York tries to treat the animals in its care as humanely as possible--a practice, Mahoney allows, that sets it apart from many labs. Mahoney reflects on the trials and tribulations of lab life during the period he and his wife cared for Molly, "a dog of modest origins" they came across on vacation in Jamaica and adopted. Molly was extremely ill, practically blind in one eye, anemic and at one point seemed possibly brain damaged. Mahoney and his wife nurtured the pup as one would a sick infant, around the clock, often taking her to bed. In telling the story of Molly's miraculous recovery, Mahoney draws parallels between her plight and that of lab animals, both those in his care (to whom he becomes heartbreakingly attached) and elsewhere. His candid reflections reveal, as noted by ASPCA president Caras, his courage and compassion in the face of thorny ethical conflict: namely, whether the lives of animals should be sacrificed, in quality or in quantity, in order to better our own. (July) FYI: National Geographic Discovery has produced a documentary on LEMSIP, which shut down soon after this book was completed, that airs on the TBS network August 30.

June 1, 1998
On vacation in Jamaica, veterinarian Mahoney came upon a litter of newborn pups. Enchanted by a moribund runt, he determined to save her life. Working with supplies that he managed to cobble together, he gave the pup a blood transfusion and rid her of the hundreds of fleas that were sucking her blood, causing her to be anemic. Failing in his attempts to keep a professional distance from the pup--now dubbed Molly--he ended up taking her home with him to upstate New York. Interspersed throughout this dramatic, suspenseful story of Molly's rescue are Mahoney's recollections of his years working as a research veterinarian, primarily with primates. Mahoney believes that there is a need to perform research experiments on nonhuman animals but that the animals should be treated humanely and in a way that preserves their dignity. This well-written, engaging book will surely interest everyone who cares about in animal welfare and animal rights.--Peggie Partello, Keene State Coll. Lib., NH

May 15, 1998
A different twist on the veterinary memoirs genre popularized by James Herriot, Mahoney's examination of his motives as a research veterinarian makes for engrossing reading. Molly of the title is a small puppy that the author and his wife spent most of a Jamaican vacation curing of the myriad medical problems that beset her. In the process of saving Molly, Mahoney begins to confront a dilemma--how can a veterinarian who so loves animals condone their use in medical research? For that is Mahoney's lifework: laboratory research involving primates. The narrative moves back and forth in time, framed by the story of Molly. The author recounts his student days in Scotland. He describes his early life as a farm veterinarian and how he moved into a medical research laboratory in New York. The discussion of how he arrived at his philosophy on the treatment of research animals is the book's major strength and recommends it for all libraries. ((Reviewed May 15, 1998))(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 1998, American Library Association.)