Richard Adams’ literary prowess shines through his vivid descriptions, drawing readers into settings with a multisensory immersion. This distinctive style is particularly impactful when he chooses animals, specifically dogs, as his protagonists. Unlike many authors who anthropomorphize animals into idealized figures, Adams presents them as they are, with all their inherent wildness and emotional depth. His work, Watership Down, while seemingly for children, doesn’t shy away from portraying the harsh realities of fear, despair, and conflict that exist even in the natural world. Adams acknowledges this humanization is necessary for storytelling, but his focus remains on the authentic animal experience.
Adams’ narrative, particularly in “The Plague Dogs,” delves into the complex relationship between animals and humans, posing critical questions about our responsibilities. The story opens in a sterile research laboratory in northern England, a place where numerous experiments are conducted on animals, some funded by industries like cosmetics, others by the pursuit of scientific knowledge. Adams’ profound disdain for such practices is palpable as he details the suffering inflicted upon these creatures: mutilation, burns, electrocution, and exposure to toxins, all in the name of research. Animals are kept in isolation, subjected to sleep deprivation, and when their lives end, they are discarded with utter indifference, akin to disposable objects.
The central figures in this grim setting are a large black mongrel named Rowf, whose name is merely the sound he makes, and a small terrier named Snitter. Rowf is subjected to a cruel experiment focused on the effects of prolonged drowning without death. Snitter, having previously known a human master, bears the physical and psychological scars of experimental brain surgery. Together, these two dogs manage a perilous escape into the outside world, where their struggle for survival is a constant, precarious endeavor.
Adams also powerfully critiques bureaucracy and the modern media, illustrating how their intersection can create monstrous distortions of reality. When worried farmers, whose sheep have fallen prey to the hungry dogs, report the incidents, officials engage in endless discussions. However, when the story is sensationalized by a prominent London tabloid, it ignites a public frenzy. The newspaper, driven by the desire for higher sales, poses alarming questions: “Was the lab not working with many kinds of animals the night the dogs escaped? Among those animals, were there not RATS? And were those rats not the subjects of tests involving the horrible BLACK PLAGUE? CAN the laboratory ASSURE the taxpaying public that there is ABSOLUTELY NO CHANCE, none at all that the dogs are not infected with the virulent PLAGUE?” The resounding “NO” from the press transforms Rowf and Snitter from escaped lab subjects into the infamous “Plague Dogs,” making them the targets of an escalating and disproportionate manhunt.
Beyond being an animal adventure, akin to a dark reimagining of “Homeward Bound,” Adams’ work serves as a profound social commentary. The narrative is rich with canine philosophy, as Adams masterfully enters the minds of his characters. Rowf and Snitter share a core belief: a dog’s purpose is to serve humanity. However, their interpretations diverge. Snitter, recalling a benevolent past master, believes their role is to bring joy and love into human homes. Rowf, whose existence has been confined to the lab, views service through the lens of enduring abuse for humanity’s inscrutable ends, believing his escape and avoidance of the water tank mark him as a “Bad Dog.”
Observing the world through a dog’s eyes offers a unique perspective. Snitter, for instance, perceives the newspaper delivery as a game shared with his master. He marvels at the natural world outside his suburban experience, noting with surprise how humans have reshaped the landscape with “green things and mountains and deep holes filled with water”—holes that Rowf interprets as vessels for drowning colossal creatures, mirroring his own torment. Adams’ exploration of how a dog might interpret the world yields many insightful moments.
The novel’s central theme revolves around humanity’s ethical obligations toward animals. Adams challenges the notion that we are inherently superior to other species. While acknowledging human capabilities in skill and intellect, he argues against a claim of moral superiority, emphasizing our place within the intricate web of life. We may not fully grasp our ultimate purpose in nature, but we can certainly discern what our purpose is not.
An animated adaptation of “The Plague Dogs,” produced by the same studio behind “Watership Down,” exists. Though details may fade with time, it is remembered as a deeply moving film. The book’s conclusion diverges slightly from the film’s, featuring a poignant meta-fictional exchange where the author and reader debate the dogs’ fate, a testament to Adams’ awareness of both narrative integrity and audience expectation.