Zond 5 launched 1968

Zond 5, launched September 14, 1968 by the former Soviet Union, became the second spaceship to travel to the moon, circle it, and return to Earth.  It carried two tortoises and an assortment of bugs and plants.  The tortoises were recovered on September 21, starving but otherwise in good shape.  They were the first Earthlings to reach the moon.

Zond 6, Soviet lunar orbiter, launched 1968

Zond 6, a Soviet spacecraft launched to flyby the moon November 10, 1968, was the second probe to reach the moon and return, Zond 5 being the first.  Zond 6 reached the moon November 14 taking pictures of the near and far sides.

Zond 6 returned to Earth on November 17 but during re-entry, a faulty gasket caused the spacecraft to depressurize, killing the animals (turtles, wine flies, mealworms, plants, seeds, bacteria) on  board.  Then its parachutes failed to deploy and Zond 6 crashed in Kazakhstan, near the launch site.

First tortoises in space: Zond 5 lands 1968

Launched September 14, 1968, the Soviet spacecraft Zond 5 carrying two tortoises, mealworms, wine flies, plants and a partridge in a pear tree (okay, I made that last one up), landed September 22, becoming the first time living creatures went to the moon and back safely.

Zond 5 was supposed to return to Kazakhstan but due to an error, it landed in the Indian Ocean.  It was recovered 4 days later.  The tortoises had lost about 10% of their  body weight but other than that, they were fine.