Sometimes, history can take a little while to get things right... |
For our furry friends, who have no voice to tell their story, it can take even longer. Ever hear of Balto, the sled dog who became a real-life hero? His story is so legendary it inspired movies and statues -- except... |
Balto wasn't the true hero after all. |
In 1925, a deadly diphtheria outbreak threatened the town of Nome, Alaska. Almost overnight, the towns children began falling ill and even dying. Without antitoxin, Dr. Welch, the towns physician, feared the mortality rate would reach 100 percent. |
That meant, unless something was done quickly, no child would survive the month. |
With no planes or ships able to reach the town in winter, it was up to dogsled teams to make the dangerous journey bringing medicine. Amazingly, in just five and a half days, the "Great Race of Mercy" was completed, and the lifesaving serum was delivered. The dog leading the team making that final delivery, Balto, was hailed a hero. You can visit a statue of him in New York's Central Park or see many of the movies with his name. And Balto is a hero. He led his faithful team 53 miles to Nome through treacherous conditions those brave dogs never would have been in... had it not been life-or-death. |
Except, while the town celebrated the team's arrival, another crew of tired, weary dogs and their musher were still miles back, alone in the wilderness... | ...unsure if their death-defying journey had succeeded at all. This team had traveled an incredible 264 miles to retrieve the medicine. A distance 5X times longer than Balto's team. At the end, determined but exhausted, they handed the serum off to the fresh team, Balto, who carried it into town to be celebrated as heroes. |
Even more incredible? The lead dog, Togo, that fought in a race against time for all 264 miles -- was 12 years old. |
Pretty old for a dog. Balto, by contrast, would eventually pass away at the age of 14, after a long and happy life. Just 2 years older than Togo when he accomplished a feat few dogs in their prime were capable of. |
But this story has a happy ending. |
You see, the people of Nome eventually found out the story of this amazing race to save their children. And they spread the tale of Togo, and his musher, Seppala. Over the years, more and more people began to recognize Togo as the true dog hero who saved the town's children. Finally, historians dug in and did the research only to realize the truth... while all the dogs deserve praise for their courage, it was old Togo that was the bravest of them all. In 1983, Togo's body, preserved out of love by Seppala, was given a place of honor at the Iditarod Race headquarters in Wasilla, Alaska. In 2001, Togo received his own statue in New York City's Steward Park. |
And in 2011, Time Magazine named Togo the most heroic animal of all time. |
Togo lived with Seppala until passing away at 16 years old on a farm in Maine. Seppala said, "Togo's stamina, loyalty, and intelligence could not be improved upon. He was the best dog that ever traveled the Alaska trail." If you are ever in NYC, say hi to Togo's statue -- it's a tribute to the spirit of all dogs who'd go to the ends of the Earth for us! Barks & meows, Alpha Paw |
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Let's celebrate the power of pets - because sometimes, they rescue us as much as we rescue them. |
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