On November 3, 1957, Russia launched Sputnik 2 sending the first animal to space, orbiting the Earth. Laika (Barker in English) was a female mixed breed stray dog. Sadly, it is believed that due to heat and stress, she died a few hours after takeoff. But hers and other dogs flights paved the way for […]
Moby Dick, the white whale of Herman Melville’s novel written in 1851, was actually modeled after a real live whale called Mocha Dick. Spotted often in the early 1800s, Mocha Dick’s home was the Pacific Ocean. He was usually seen near an island called Mocha off the coast of Southern Chile. Mocha Dick was a […]
Pets participated in the Civil War in a number of ways. There were dogs who fought on the front lines, spy dogs, hospital dogs, messenger dogs and prison dogs. Other animals served as mascots for the regiments. Despite orders to the contrary, many soldiers kept pets with them, including dogs, cats, squirrels and raccoons. General […]
