BALTO AND TOGO

The hero sled dogs that saved the remote Alaskan town of Nome

 

 Submitted by Trey Rusk

 

                Gunnar Kaasen with Balto, the lead dog for the team he drove in the serum run 

 

In 1925, diphtheria affected an isolated village in Alaska. Due to the severe cold, it was not possible to transport the medicines by plane and ship, so the transport of the medicines to the town of Nome was organized with the help of mushers (guides or drivers of a dog sled team).

  Nome in 1915

 

About 1200 miles had to be covered in five days. There were several teams and they took turns on different sections. The Norwegian Gunnar Kasen and his main dog Balto were the first to bring the serum to the village.

It turned out that Kasen had not made a mistake in choosing the main dog, because when the team had an accident, Balto helped his musher, saving him from certain death.

When the storm reached its peak and visibility became low they crossed 52 miles. Balto is considered a hero, and in 1925 a monument was erected to him in Central Park in New York.

 The Statue of Balto at Central Park, New York

 

He was truly a hero, like all the other dogs during this mission. However, the dog that did the most difficult part of the work was Togo who crossed the longest distance (418 kilometers). He was part of Leonardo Seppala team of dogs. Togo is the husky, in the photo.

 

 

Leonhard Seppala With Togo 

 

Togo was already known for his incredible leadership qualities, which he demonstrated again in this race.

The mission was successfully completed and these brave dogs saved numerous lives.