The Soviet Union launched the first animal to orbit the earth
into space—a dog nicknamed Laika—aboard the Sputnik 2
spacecraft.

Laika (above) part Siberian husky, lived as a stray on the
Moscow streets before being enlisted into the Soviet space
program.

Electrodes attached to her body provided scientists on the
ground with important information about the biological
effects of space travel. She died from overheating and
panic.

Model of Sputnik 2 at the Memorial Museum of Cosmonautics
in Moscow.

PORTLAND, Ore. (KATU) — A Portland K9 officer has
been named one of the country’s most heroic dogs.

Jacky, a 6-year-old German shorthaired pointer, is a
semifinalist for an American Humane 2024 Hero Dog
Award in the “Law Enforcement and First Responder”
category.

Jacky and human Officer Charlie Berry are assigned to
TriMet’s Transit Police Division, where K9 Jacky helps
protect TriMet’s riders and employees, as well as the
wider Portland region, sniffing out potential danger.

Port of Portland announced Monday, K9 Jacky and
her handler Officer Berry have been selected to work
Super Bowl LVIII in Las Vegas on Feb. 11.

Port of Portland Police Officer Charlie Berry and her K9
Jacky. (Port of Portland)

COOS BAY, Ore. — Oregon has yet another gem in its crown –
Wild Thang, the official World’s Ugliest Dog!

Wild Thang, an 8-year-old-Pekingese, won the World’s Ugliest
Dog championship at the Sonoma-Marin Fair in Petaluma,
California on Friday.

The World’s Ugliest Dog contest has been a highlight at the
fair for almost 50 years and promotes adopting dogs from
shelters, instead of breeders, especially senior dogs.
(by Allison Berry, Associated Press)

Ann Lewis, of Coos Bay, Ore., holds her dog Wild Thang after winning first place at the World’s Ugliest Dog competition in Petaluma, Calif., Friday, June 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Nic Coury)

A police photo of ‘Lucy’.

ARLINGTON, Wash. — A family dog in Arlington alerted her
owners to a nearby fire early Friday morning allowing them
to quickly call 911 for help.

Just after 3 a.m. Friday, North County Fire/EMS and Arlington
police officers were sent to a structure fire in the 17900 block
of 31st Drive NE. A detached shop next to a residence had
caught on fire, according to the Arlington Police Department. 

While the structure was burning, a neighboring dog named
‘Lucy’ barked, alerting her owners to the fire. They were able
to call the fire department and help their neighbors quickly
extinguish the fire, the APD said.

First responders arrived and helped put out the flames and
ensure it did not spread to anything else on the property. The
APD praised ‘Lucy’, the neighboring pup, for her help.

A photo of Arlington police officers with a hero.

(AP) – Bobi, (above) the purebred Rafeiro do Alentejo from
Portugal who was the world’s oldest dog, has died.

Guinness World Records says Bobi died Saturday at his
home in Conqueiros, Portugal, after living for 31 years
and 165 days.

The organization cited Bobi’s owner, Leonel Costa (below)
as saying that he was never tied up or leashed during his 
life and as he got older, spent most of his time in the
backyard of his property hanging out with cats.