Dogs In Space

Posted on February 20, 2008
Filed Under General |

Sit! Oooh sorry, lost who we were talking to there for a second…You may want to sit down for this one, we are about to turn the world upside down. Mind you, we are not taking responsibility for anything, from what was recently learned - this is (or should be) common knowledge. Frankly, as dog loving individuals, we are really upset we missed this one. Something tells me a good portion of the human population did as well, but I guess only time will tell. Damn those History books!!! To whom do our canines, nay, the entire population of the planet as a whole, owe their greatest gift of thanks - Edison, Lassie, the Standard Fire Hydrant Co.??? You may be surprised to learn that a certain Russian tail-wagger may be the most underappreciated, and overlooked of all historical heroes of recent times.

I was reading Water Magazine recently, it’s a surf publication centered on the ocean, and waves…Water. Pick it up; we’re in the dog biz not public relations! So, as I was reading this incredibly adept, powerfully awe-inspiring piece focusing on Oahu’s Waimea Bay, I was immediately taken aback by the visual imagery flooding my visual pleasure centers. I can’t imagine how such beauty can be captured on film, or memory card for that matter. There’s a fine artistic debate waiting to happen huh? Too bad, we’re talking dogs here. I know, you’re getting lost, not sure where we’re going with this whole historically significant, impoverished pooch slant relating to coconuts and palm trees…read on grasshopper. As I am drinking in the seascapes, preparing my brain to pore over the mellifluous dissertation before me; I conjure up images of salt tinged palms swaying in the trades, lazy afternoons, and moonlit tropical nights. And then my eyes fall down the page to the opening sentence of the article, and it reads just like this…

The words dropped like an Acme anvil:

“The first week of November 1957 was a busy one for exploration. On Sunday, Russia showed how badly it wanted to kick our ass in the space race by launching the first living creature into orbit. That creature was Laika, a stray dog “rescued” from the streets of Moscow, and her instant popularity threatened Lassie’s position as World’s Most Famous Pooch.”

Did everyone see that OK???

The article continues….”As the Russkies threw back shots of vodka in celebration, word leaked out that there were no plans for the satellite to return to earth. Laika faced certain doom, and by Thursday, she was dead.”

- Jason Borte

WATER Magazine Vol 6. NO. 4

Admittedly, we are among the generation who propagate social community networks for our beloved animals. But, how did this information previously escape us? Sputnik, no problem. Yuri Gagarin, yup. But Laika, the Moscow Street Mongrel who left her most earthly concerns behind for the advancement of science, and life in our universe - that is beautiful! And we at Muttspace cannot believe how uninformed we were about this most unlikely, under appreciated intergalactic hero. We’d first like to recognize author Jason Borte from Water Magazine as a bastion of canine reverence for his if not unknowing, somewhat skewed historical demarcation of canine lore. Beyond all else, and beyond any $20 words we know nothing about, Muttspace is giving it up for Laika! We’re proclaiming November 7^th - Laika’s fateful day - an official Canine Holiday from this day forward.

Yes, you may notice that November 7^th also carries some additional historical significance…Did Laika play more of a role here than both the United States and Russia care to admit? Was this a game of blind man’s bluff at a dog poker table in the sky? Was the space race ultimately decided by a lone mutt from the gulag? We won’t draw the conclusions; we will only ask the questions…

In the game of international espionage, there is no such thing as coincidence. If you’re still not picking up what we are putting down, don’t look at the dog next time you shout out a command and he or she doesn’t react - maybe it’s just you!

What we are talking about people is this: Why is Laika’s fateful day the same day we go to the polls to elect the leaders of our government?

Tonight….on The Factor!

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