Saving Molly: A Research Veterinarian's Choices - Hardcover

Mahoney D.V.M. Ph.D., James

3.77

39 ratings by Goodreads

9781565121737: Saving Molly: A Research Veterinarian's Choices

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1565121732 ISBN 13: 9781565121737

Publisher: Algonquin Books, 1998

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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 questions: 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

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Review:

"This is the story of a brave little dog by the name of Molly--a bush dog, blind in one eye, and poor-sighted in the other." So begins Saving Molly, research veterinarian James Mahoney's introspective book about his pets and his work with lab-test animals. While on vacation in Jamaica, Mahoney stumbles upon a very sick puppy and nurses her back to health. He goes to great lengths to save Molly's life, driving for hours in search of scarce medical supplies, staying up all night to feed and medicate the forlorn creature. This experience prompts Mahoney to review his life as a pet owner, animal lover, and a man who decides which monkeys at the lab get assigned to experiments. For many years Mahoney worked with monkeys involved in AIDS and hepatitis research at New York University's Laboratory for Experimental Medicine and Surgery in Primates, also known as LEMSIP. In this book, he grapples with the difficult questions raised by his work: How can a person who loves animals subject them to the stress and pain of experimentation? After a lab animal has endured many experiments, doesn't humanity owe it a nice retirement? Which tests are justifiable, and which are not? Mahoney believes that although people do not have a right to test on animals, it is necessary, and since it is something that needs to be done, it should be done with compassion. Mahoney describes his efforts to improve living conditions for lab animals. Mostly, though, this book stays away from the lab and doesn't dwell on the details of the experiments. Instead, Mahoney focuses on happier things. He contemplates his relationships with several of the lab's chimpanzees, describing their distinct personalities. He recalls times when he saved lives and took needy animals into his own home. Mahoney clearly loves animals and derives great satisfaction from his work as a healer. This book is a thoughtful account of his struggle to make sense of his life and his work. --Jill Marquis

From the Inside Flap:

The puppy was scrawny and dying. She presented herself to Jim Mahoney while he was enjoying the clear water, sun, and slow time of a long-awaited vacation in Jamaica.

Molly, as he would later call her, was not the first dying animal the research veternarian had seen, nor the biggest nor the smartest nor the most famous. Still, the rescue of a mottled bush dog of modest origin left Mahoney redeemed.

In the tradition of fellow University of Glasgow graduate James Herriot's All Things Great and Small, Mahoney's story spans fifty years of living with mice, horses, dogs, cats, Rhesus monkeys, chimpanzees, and the two-legged primates who live and work with them.

Mahoney is one of the few researchers to earn the respect of both scientists and animal rights activists by simultaneously agitating for humane treatment of animals shile affirming humanity's need for animal research. It's a delicate balance.

This is the tale of a man who surveys his life's work and discovers more questions than answers. How can he spend his days with chimpanzees locked behind bars and still say that he loves them? What does he owe them for their participation in his research? Why does he care? Why does saving a puppy mean so much to him?

Written by the man Jane Goodall called "one of the most gentle and compassionate people I know," Saving Molly is both an important addition to the debate on animal research and a witty, heartfelt meditation on one man's life with animals.

But it is Molly whose struggle clarifies Mahoney's beliefs, sending him barreling over rough Jamaican mountains in a borrowed car, searching for the needles, drugs, and equipment he'll need to save her. More than a story about a dog, this is the story of a rescued man.

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