Wonder why it took them so long though?
On November 3, 1957 Russia launched the Sputnik 2 with the first living creature successfully sent into space orbit Laikia, a dog. Laika survived the launch and lived for 4 days before dying when the cabin overheated.
Both the US and Russia had been testing animal astronauts for about 5 years prior but Laika was actually the first to get up to the 50 mile altitude where space begins and orbit successfully.