He achieved fame when he reportedly led a team of sled dogs driven by Gunnar Kaasen on the final leg of the 1925 serum run to Nome, in which diphtheria antitoxin was transported from Anchorage, Alaska, to Nenana, Alaska, by train and then to Nome by dog sled to combat an outbreak of the disease
What was Balto delivering?
On February 15, 1925, a dogsled team led by a Siberian husky named Balto arrived in Nome, Alaska under treacherous weather The six-year-old dog had just delivered a second batch of diphtheria antitoxin to the town, which was in the early stages of a deadly outbreak
What medicine did Togo delivery?
By the time Togo led his team over 261 miles during the Great Race of Mercy to deliver diphtheria anti-toxin, he was 12 years old
What was the sickness in Nome?
Nome, an Alaskan mining town past its heyday, teetered on the brink of a diphtheria outbreak Children had begun to succumb to the disease, a bacterial infection that coats the esophagus in a suffocating layer of necrotic tissue The city’s meager supply of antitoxin serum had passed its expiration date
Why did Balto get all the credit instead of Togo?
Why did Balto get all the credit? Balto received the credit, as lead dog Balto was an amazing husky and did an amazing job, but Balto did not run the length of difficult terrain, in the horrendous conditions, or cover as much danger and ice during the Serum Run, as Togo had
Is Togo Balto’s father?
– Unlike Balto, whom Seppala had neutered at six months of age, Togo sired many litters of puppies for Sepp’s breeding program, and today is widely considered one of the fathers of the modern Siberian Husky breed (as well as a strong contributor to the much older “Seppala Siberian Sled Dog” breedthe genetic
Is Balto bloodline still alive?
His bloodlines live on in the Seppala Siberian Husky, a genetic line of Siberian Huskies that are treasured by those who breed them Both Togo and Balto’s bodies and skeletons are separately mounted in different museums You can see him at the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race Headquarters Museum in Wasilla, AK
How many dogs died in the serum run?
Many of the 150 dogs who took part in the 1925 Serum Run to Nome lost their lives, mainly due to exposure While none of the mushers lost their lives, several of them succumbed to frostbite, including Charlie Olson and Gunnar Kaasen, who completed the final two legs of the journey
Are there still Seppala Siberians?
The pure original Seppala bloodlines are rare but found in small numbers in several Canadian provinces, the main population now occurring in Manitoba where the parent kennel relocated in 2008
Who owned Balto the sled dog?
Leonhard Seppala Balto with Gunnar Kaasen, his musher in the 1925 Serum Run Species Canine Occupation Sled dog Known for 1925 serum run to Nome Owner Leonhard Seppala
How was diphtheria treated before antibiotics?
Effective immunization against diphtheria was demonstrated early in the 20th century following administration of a mixture of diphtheria toxin and antitoxin In the 1920s, it was shown that administration of heat-treated, formalin-inactivated toxin vaccine resulted in protective immunity
What was Balto virus?
It all started in January 1925, when doctors in Nome began to see symptoms of a deadly infection—diphtheria Anchorage, more than 500 miles away, was the closet place with supplies of lifesaving serum
How many people died in the Nome diphtheria outbreak?
In the winter of 1925, a lone physician and four nurses in Nome, Alaska faced a crisis too terrible to imagine—an outbreak of diphtheria that could kill most of the region’s population of about 10,000 people
Was the real Balto part wolf?
The Real Balto Was Not Part Wolf And Wasn’t Considered An Ideal Lead Sled Dog In the animated film, Balto is half wolf; the real Balto was a Siberian husky, thought to be born sometime in 1919 Balto had a black coat with a patch of white on his chest and paws
Does Togo still have a bloodline?
According to a lengthy story by the New York Times, the bloodline of Togo, the lead dog in Leonhard Seppala’s famous 1925 Nome serum run team, is still alive and part of mushing The tale begins with Winnie, a direct descendant of Togo, who pulls double duty as a racing dog and a show dog
Did Togo really pull the ice?
Togo attempted to pull the floe supporting the sled, but the line snapped Amazingly, the once-in-a-lifetime lead dog had the wherewithal to snatch the line from the water, roll it around his shoulders like a harness, and eventually pull his team to safety
Why is there a statue of Balto in Central Park?
New York dog lovers raised money to honor the Alaskan malamute that led a sled dog team in the delivery of diptheria antitoxins to the citizens of Nome, Alaska in 1924 The statue, sculpted by Frederick George Richard Roght, was dedicated in December 1925
Who are Baltos parents?
In addition to being Balto’s mother, Aniu is apparently a guide to Nava, the elderly leader of the wolf pack Balto and Aleu meet in the movie Aniu mated with a male husky (Balto’s father) and they ran off together
What happened to Togo’s paw?
A short while after Seppala had left, Togo broke free of the tether and jumped the kennel fence, getting his paw caught in the process
Why was Balto at the Cleveland Zoo?
On Jan 20, 1925, an outbreak of diphtheria, a highly contagious disease affecting the throat and lungs, in a remote part of Alaska called Nome, brought a team of sled dogs to the national stage, including Balto
Why did Seppala sell Togo?
Togo’s and Seppala’s Deaths By January 1927, Seppala had opened a kennel with a socialite named Elizabeth Ricker in Poland Springs, Maine, and he was traveling between Alaska and Maine He made the decision to leave Togo behind in Maine in March 1927, concerned that the journey would be too much for the retired dog
How much is Seppala Siberian husky?
USA: Average $650 USD Australia: Average $1,500 AUD
Is Balto a true story?
The movie “Balto” is advertised as being based on the true story of a sled dog who brought a life-saving vaccine to Alaska in the early ’20s The cutest dog was selected to lead and was given the catchy name Balto After what was more a grim ordeal than heroic adventure, the medicine arrived in Nome
Why did the journey to Nome had to be covered through dog sled?
BecauseThe sled dog was the primary means of transportation and communication in subarctic communities around the world, and the race became both the last great hurrah and the most famous event in the history of mushing, before the first aircraft in the late 1920s and then the snowmobile in the 1960s drove the dog sled Jan 29, 2021
What did the town of Nome need in 1925?
The 1925 serum run to Nome, also known as the Great Race of Mercy and The Serum Run, was a transport of diphtheria antitoxin by dog sled relay across the US territory of Alaska by 20 mushers and about 150 sled dogs across 674 miles (1,085 km) in 5 ½ days, saving the small town of Nome and the surrounding communities