Pavlov’s Dogs Revisited: Arts-Based Research as a Mode of Animal Advocacy

This article explores the potential of arts-based research (ABR) to center the experiences of experimental animals and contribute to innovative forms of public engagement and animal advocacy. It does so via a historical case study that has received limited creative attention – Pavlov’s laboratory and his work with dogs. Following the creation and public exhibition of a multimedia art installation – Pavlov and the Kingdom of Dogs: A Secret History – we examine how public art can challenge anthropocentric narratives, make visible the lived experiences of experimental animals, and provoke affective and reflexive engagement among audiences. We set out a response to the relative lack of research examining audience responses to ABR, presenting an analysis of results of a qualitative survey we conducted with visitors to the exhibition. Drawing on existing literature in ABR, animal studies, and cultural activism, our novel findings strongly indicate that artistic methods can foster empathy, disrupt dominant discourses, and open space for critical dialogue around animal agency and ethics in scientific research. Our analysis of the exhibition’s reception highlights how immersive, multisensory approaches enable the complex communication of, and deeper public engagement with, the histories and ethical dimensions of animal experimentation, positioning ABR as a distinctive and powerful tool for animal advocacy.