Animals in space rabbit to go into space. A 19 September 1959 launch, Jupiter AM-23, carried 2 frogs along with 12 mice but the rocket was destroyed during launch. On 19 August 1960 the Soviet Union launched Sputnik 5 (also known as Korabl-Sputnik 2) which carried the dogs Belka and Strelka, along with a gray rabbit, 40 mice, 2 rats, and 15 flasks of fruit flies and plants. It was the first spacecraft to carry animals into orbit and return them alive. One of Strelka's pups, Pushinka, bred and born after her mission, was given as a present to Caroline Kennedy by Nikita
Battersea Dogs & Cats Home determined to create lasting changes for animals in society. In 1862, Charles Dickens published an article about the home for the magazine "All the Year Round". He called it an "extraordinary monument of the remarkable affection with which the English people regard the race of dogs". In 1967, Dodie Smith referred to the home in her novel "The Starlight Barking". Battersea Dogs & Cats Home has featured on many television programmes and documentaries. The Channel 4 programme "Pet Rescue" which aired in 1997 featured Battersea Dogs & Cats Home. BBC One programme "Animal Rescue Live" was broadcast live for a