Moonwolf (1959)

Dr. Peter Holmes (Carl Moehner), zoologist and veterinarian, relectantly agrees to permit his dog, Wolf, to be used in a launch project commissioned by the International Conference of Science, at Geneva, to study body function and survival in outer space. Holmes had discovered Wolf as a pup in the forest, only to lose him again in a flood, and is fearful of risking the dog's life again. So he says no. O.K., he didn't, but don't expect "Lassie Goes to the Moon." In fact, while Wolf is off in outer space, Holmes goes into flashback mode recalling how he found, lost and found the dog again, and this memory jaunt serves to cover the time that Wolf is gone and it is now time for Wolf to return from outer space. But the capsule's recovery area is out in the artic terrain, so Holmes dons his parka, snowshoes, hitches up the raindeer and mushes out to rescue Wolf once again. One can only hope that the edited-out 11 minutes in the American-release showed Wolf gathering up rock samples on the moon.