What was the first animal that went to space? and what was its name?

Question: What was the first animal that went to space? and what was its name?
- Keywords:
  animal
Asked by hazel17 to Dominic, James, Jenny, Kevin, Norah on 13 Mar 2017.
- Dominic Doyle answered on 13 Mar 2017:
  
  It seems like Fruit flies were the fist animals in space
  http://www.space.com/20648-animals-in-space-history-infographic.html
  
  But the most famous and first animal to go into orbit was Laika the Russian dog in Sputnik 2 in November 1957

Question: What was the first animal that went to space? and what was its name?