Laika was a dog who lived in the 1950s, the early age of satellites on Earth. The Soviet Union "space dog" Laika was sent into Earth orbit in the satellite Sputnik 2 in 1957. She was placed in the rocket by Mikhail Leonov. (AUDIO: 1963: The Space Race)
According to one account, Laika died in space. The Third Doctor and Sarah Jane Smith buried Laika on Quiescia at the same place the Eighth Doctor would later bury the Relic. (PROSE: Alien Bodies) The Tenth Doctor later designed his TARDIS' Laika Protocol to dispose of his corpse in the event of his death. (PROSE: The Many Hands)
According to another account, Laika was rescued by an alien entity and given human level intelligence and human voice (taken from cosmonaut Marinka Talanov). The Sixth Doctor and Peri Brown encountered her on 10 November 1963. (AUDIO: 1963: The Space Race)
Another account had the Thirteenth Doctor state that the Loba were descended from Laika. (PROSE: The Good Doctor)