Former Lab Dog: What Animal Testing Really Means

• Former research dogs often struggle with basic life skills after years in labs.
• Public outcry led to the closure of a dog testing lab at St. Joseph’s Hospital in London, Ontario, in August 2025.
• More than 3.7 million animals were used in research in Canada in 2024.
• Rescued research dogs, despite past trauma, often demonstrate a remarkable capacity for love and trust.

Ottawa – The first night Mack slept in my arms, I barely dared to breathe. He curled into the space between my chest and arm, holding on as if afraid of disappearing, and I stayed frozen, terrified of disturbing his fragile peace.

Mack spent the first six years of his life in a laboratory, a reality I thought I understood intellectually. I’d volunteered with animal advocacy groups for years, fostered countless animals, and even offered comfort to those facing slaughter. But nothing could have prepared me for the reality of welcoming a former research dog into my home.

A Campaign for Change and a New Urgency

Last year, I became deeply involved with Animal Justice after two whistleblowers exposed experiments on dogs at St. Joseph’s Hospital in London, Ont. The experiments involved forcing dogs to endure hours-long heart attacks before being euthanized. I joined other advocates at a vigil, calling for an end to the experiments and shining a light on what was happening behind closed doors. The resulting public outcry was immense, and in August 2025, the hospital closed its dog lab.

Witnessing the suffering these animals endured, and the power of community action, filled me with both sorrow and hope—and a renewed sense of urgency to help animals facing similar fates.

What are the long-term effects of laboratory research on dogs? Dogs rescued from labs often exhibit symptoms of PTSD, anxiety, and fear-based behaviors, requiring patient and understanding care.

Around the same time, The Beagle Alliance, a rescue dedicated to rehabilitating dogs from laboratories, approved my application to become a foster mom. In October, a few months later, I drove back toward London from Ottawa to pick up Mack, one of ten former research dogs released from another laboratory. I didn’t even know his name when I first saw him in his crate.

Mack was nervous and shaking in his crate during the car ride and elevator ride to Ilic’s apartment.

Unseen Scars and Unexpected Tenderness

Due to non-disclosure agreements, I’ll never know the specifics of Mack’s past—which laboratory he came from or what experiments he endured. Before bringing him home, I signed a contract outlining the potential for PTSD, anxiety, and fear-based behaviors. I pictured the horrors laboratory animals often face—restraint, forced feeding, injections, and disturbing experiments. It broke my heart.

During the drive home, I could hear Mack trembling in his crate. Soon after, we discovered his terror of elevators—he shook uncontrollably and urinated the moment we stepped inside. I suspect the laboratory had one, too.

I braced myself for weeks of dealing with an angry, aggressive dog. But I was wrong. Despite everything he’d been through, Mack’s overwhelming desire was simply to be loved.

He followed me everywhere, constantly seeking affection. He was gentle and curious with our other pets, our friends, our neighbors, even strangers on the street. Deprived of so much, he still approached the world with tenderness.

Mack was gentle with other animals, including Ilic’s cat Beannie.

A New Beginning

Mack wasn’t like any foster or adopted animal I’d known before. Shelter or street dogs have had a chance to experience life. Dogs rescued from laboratories, however, have been used as test subjects. Despite being almost seven years old, Mack was experiencing everything for the first time—potty training, stairs, a leash, even toys.

A few days after bringing him home, I watched him bask in a sunbeam and wondered if it was the first time he’d felt warmth on his fur. Each small victory felt monumental.

More than 3.7 million animals were used in research in Canada in 2024, a number that’s difficult to grasp. But loving Mack brought the reality home. Every trembling paw, every cautious sniff, reminded me of their fragility and resilience—and how much their lives had been stolen.

WATCH | Scientist behind cardiac study explains why dogs were used in trials:

London researcher explains why he was testing on dogs

Frank Prato, the scientist behind controversial studies inducing heart attacks in dogs, sat down for an exclusive interview with CBC’s London Morning host Andrew Brown and defended the importance of his research. He also explained why whistleblowers were wrong about the allegations.

Mack has given me a gift. Advocacy can feel overwhelming, but loving Mack reminds me that every animal I fight for is an individual deserving of a life filled with joy. Today, Mack is thriving—sleeping in a soft bed, playing with other dogs, and basking in the affection he deserves. Holding him close, I’m reminded of his loneliness and the hope that one day, no animal will have to suffer for science.

Adopting Mack has reminded Ilic why she believes so firmly in animal rights.