Laika Day

I would like to suggest that 3 November be declared Laika Day — a day when we remember all the animals that have suffered or died for the sake of human research.

Illustration of a dog in a space suit with a rocket launching in the background. The title "Laika" and author "Nick Abadzis" are displayed above.
Petition
Postage stamp featuring Laika, the first dog in space, with Sputnik designs, Hungarian text, and a 350 forint denomination.

“Before the launch one of the mission scientists, Vladimir Yazdovsky, took Laika home to play with his children: "Laika was quiet and charming ... I wanted to do something nice for her: She had so little time left to live."

Petition
Postage stamp depicting Soviet spacecraft Sputnik II with dog Laika inside, and satellite illustration. Text includes "Ascension."

“In October 2002, Dimitri Malashenkov, one of the scientists behind the Sputnik 2 mission, revealed that Laika had died by the fourth circuit of flight from overheating.“

Petition