Togo: the Siberian Husky who led the 1925 serum run

Part 1

Why Nome needed a serum run

In the winter of 1924 and 1925, Nome's only doctor, Curtis Welch, found that the town's supply of diphtheria antitoxin had expired. By mid-January 1925 he had diagnosed diphtheria in a three-year-old boy, and more cases followed within weeks. Diphtheria is a contagious bacterial infection that can suffocate patients if it is not treated. Nome was icebound and cut off from ships for the winter, and planes of the era could not fly safely in the extreme cold, so officials turned to dog sled teams to bring antitoxin from the railhead at Nenana. You can imagine how much pressure rested on the dogs chosen for the relay.

Part 2

Togo's early life

Togo was born around 1913 and belonged to Leonhard Seppala, a Norwegian musher who bred and raced Siberian Huskies in Nome. As a puppy he had a painful throat problem, and Seppala initially gave him away to a friend to be a pet. Togo escaped that home by jumping through a window and made his way back to Seppala's kennel. At about eight months old he was harnessed for the first time and ran 75 miles on his first day, an unusual distance for such a young dog. He soon became Seppala's regular lead dog and helped him win the All-Alaska Sweepstakes race in 1915, 1916 and 1917.

Part 3

The longest, most dangerous leg

When the serum relay was organized, Seppala was assigned the longest and most difficult portion of the route, which crossed the frozen Norton Sound. He and his team, with Togo leading, traveled more than 300 miles out from Nome to meet the relay, then turned back with the serum. On the return trip, Seppala took a shortcut across the ice of Norton Sound to save time, even though the ice could break up without warning. Togo's judgment helped guide the team safely across just hours before the ice broke apart. If you have ever trusted your own dog's instincts on a walk, you will understand why mushers depended so heavily on their lead dogs. By the time Togo handed off the serum, he had covered about 261 miles, the longest distance of any dog in the relay.

Part 4

Togo compared with Balto

Balto, another Siberian Husky from Seppala's kennel, led the final and much shorter leg of the relay into Nome, covering about 55 miles. Seppala felt that Togo deserved more credit, and he said publicly that he never had a better dog than Togo. Over time, historians gave Togo more recognition, including a statue in New York's Seward Park in 2001. If your own dog ever gets overlooked for a flashier housemate, you might feel for Seppala's frustration on Togo's behalf.

Part 5

What happened to Togo afterward

Togo retired in Poland Spring, Maine, and was euthanized there at the age of 16. After his death, Seppala had him mounted, and his remains have been displayed at museums in Vermont and Alaska. His skeletal remains are held by the Peabody Museum of Natural History at Yale University.

• Togo was a Siberian Husky, born around 1913, owned by musher Leonhard Seppala.
• He led the longest single leg of the 1925 serum run, covering roughly 261 miles.
• He crossed the frozen Norton Sound safely just hours before the ice broke up.
• He was 12 years old during the serum run.