Laika (?-1957)

Laika (barker) was a stray dog taken from Moscow's streets by the Soviet Space Program for training to send her to orbit the Earth. She became the first cosmonaut dog in history. A very well known one, celebrated in novels, songs and even brands. Her story is so moving that in Julian May's novel, Intervention, an alien race rescues her. The truth is that the soviets never considered her return. "The more time passes, the more I'm sorry about it. We shouldn't have done it... We did not learn enough from this mission to justify the death of the dog", said Oleg Gazenko in 1998, one of the leading scientist that sent her into orbit.

Today, 40 years after her death, thousands of laboratories and secondary and college students around the world, continue maiming, torturing and killing any kind of species, from insects to primates, in the name of Science. And, like in the case of Laika, without getting any useful information from them. Frankly, which end may have for a 15 year older to dissect a frog if he or she will later complete studies in Architechture or Economics? Just for his/her information, of course, if they say so...
Image, Wikipedia.