Belka and Strelka

Belka (Белка, literally, "squirrel", or alternatively "Whitey") and Strelka (Стрелка, "cursor") were dogs that spent a day in space aboard Korabl-Sputnik 2 (Sputnik 5) on 19 August 1960 before safely returning to Earth.

These were the first Earth-born creatures to orbit Earth and return alive, and the first recovered since February 20, 1947, when fruit flies were flown into space on a suborbital flight by the U.S. and survived.

[4] One of the puppies was named Pushinka (Пушинка, "Fluffy") and was presented to President John F. Kennedy by Nikita Khrushchev in 1961.

A Kennedy dog named Charlie and Pushinka mated, resulting in the birth of four puppies that JFK referred to jokingly as pupniks.

The other two puppies, White Tips and Blackie, stayed at the Kennedy home on Squaw Island but were eventually given away to family friends.