Togo The Sled Dog

In 1925, Togo, a Siberian husky who loves being a sled dog, leads a team that rushes to bring diphtheria antitoxin from Anchorage to Nome, Alaska.

The story of the 1925 Nome, Alaska, diphtheria epidemic describes the plight of the patients, with a blizzard imminent and the much-needed serum seven hundred miles away, as teams of sled dogs and their drivers become the only hope for survival

The Nome Kennel Club was founded ostensibly to sponsor races as a way to settle the never-ending dispute over who owned the best dogs. The club s rules for participation led to a greater respect for and care of sled dogs in a way that, until recently, had yet to be fully appreciated. That Leonhard Seppala and his Siberians became the ambassadors carrying the Nome Kennel Club s humane dog care message from Nome to New England was inevitable nice-looking, calm, friendly dogs who adored their driver and a charismatic man who loved his dogs.

Many have heard of the famed sled dog Balto- how he helped save the children of Nome Alaska from an outbreak of Diphtheria. But did you know that most of the heroic deeds attributed to Balto was actually accomplished by a dog named Togo? This children's book seeks to set the record straight by engaging your child in the epic adventures of this most accomplished sledding in American history.

Balto, the great Alaska sled dog, has been dead since 1933. But he still stands larger-than-life on Dogdom's Mount Olympus, where the world's great canines are immortalized. Yet few people know Baltos true story. Only one small part has been told, and even it has been distorted. Several Balto books have been written. There's even a Balto animated movie, but it, too, is largely fiction. (Balto was NOT part wolf!) Like the books, the movie leaves off where this book begins — and tells the best part of the story. Balto was only three years old when he helped carry serum across Alaska from Nenana to Nome to save the town's children from diphtheria. As leader of the last dog team in the life-saving relay race, he became an overnight sensation — a BONEa fide international celebrity. But much more happened after that. Balto lived for eight more years. His days unfolded like a sled expedition to the North Pole, carrying him in an exhilarating rush over smooth snow one minute, an icy hummock the next. And how does the new story end? With a heart-thumping surprise that you can't imagine — and neither could have Balto. Hook up your harness, step into Balto's booties, and mush off to Balto's true story.

It was 1925 and the world was in a diptheria pandemic. The town of Nome, Alaska, needed the serum to save its children but there was only one way to get there: dog sled. Balto and Togo, two Siberian huskies, were part of the relay race that pushed through below-freezing temperatures and a blizzard to bring the serum to Nome.