The Dog Who Saved the World

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The Dog who Saved the World, written by Ross Welford, is a novel about technology, time travel, family, dogs and friendship — and of course… saving the world.

This was always going to be a one-way mission,” says Doug Millard, space curator at London’s Science Museum. “It was at the height of the Cold War and this was serious stuff, part of a struggle between the superpowers.”Once successfully in orbit, the world was told how Laika would survive a week in comfort, with plenty of food and water, before passing away painlessly. It emerged in 2002 that the dog had only lasted seven hours before dying of panic and heat exhaustion. The Dog Who Saved The Worldwas split into four main parts and it certainly had me on my toes. It took me on an energetic journey of up and downs… and more ups and downs. This was my very first Ross Welford novel and what can I say… I was completely gripped throughout, and read the whole novel in one evening! I just simply couldn’t put it down. It was well-written — very emotive and surprising. I was engaged and fascinated by the whole story and all the drama and chaos that the characters all faced throughout. Their fame spread internationally – there were stamps, postcards, they were absolutely everywhere,” says Southgate. “It was quite phenomenal.”

Fatalities do not seem to be a large part of the syndrome we are investigating, with rare animals developing an acute and sometimes fatal pneumonia after the longer chronic disease," Dr Needle told the media outlet. "We think these may represent secondary infections." Dr. David B. Needle, a pathologist at the New Hampshire Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory and clinical associate professor at the University of New Hampshire told CNN that dogs with the mysterious illness showed similar signs of an upper respiratory disease but they don't test positive for common respiratory diseases.

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Still, for the Soviet Union, the mission was another propaganda coup and space dog Laika became a national hero. And, by launching a sizeable 113kg (249lb) capsule with a live animal on board, it appeared the Russians were way ahead of the Americans when it came to space and missile technology.