If you love Balto, you have to love Togo. Leonhard Seppala and his sled dog team led by Togo traveled 340 miles roundtrip to pick up the serum and start bringing it back, eventually handing it off to Charlie Olson's team. We want to … Here's the true story behind all the elements of Togo – before, during, and after the 1925 serum run – and how much of the Disney+ movie was fictionalized. With temperatures hovering around -30 degrees, Seppala and his dogs made incredible time in their mad dash east, covering over 170 miles in just three days. Back on land after covering a near-impossible number of miles, Seppala and his team eventually made the serum handoff in Golovin, just 78 miles from Nome. This story is far from the truth. True Story about The Siberian Husky puppy named Togo was born in 1913. Unlike the movie, Leonhard Seppala eventually decided that he wanted Togo to live out the remainder of his life in comfort. The real Togo spent a few weeks at his new home before he jumped through the glass of a shut window and ran several miles back to Leonhard's kennel. The Norwegian-born Seppala first arrived in Alaska in 1900, when most sled dogs were burly Alaskan Malamutes or mixed breeds. A relay of 20 sled dog teams then traveled a distance of 674 miles from Nenana to Nome. 1 From Rambunctious Pup To Legendary Lead.Togo in single lead on a trail in 1921.Courtesy of Sigrid Seppala Hanks Collection, Carrie M. McLain ... 2 Togo & the 1925 Nome Serum Run. 3 The Legacy of Togo. Named after Heihachiro Togo, a Japanese Admiral who fought in the war between Russia and Japan (1904-5) as well as other conflicts. as Cathy wrote, Togo was the true hero who ran over 250 miles where as Balto did the last leg of 50. So if you want to remain completely in the dark about this movie (although it is based on a true, untold story), maybe bookmark this page for another day. Feb 20, 2020 - A complete Journey about dogs, We offer you a free information about dog training, dogs grooming, dog kennels, names, dog breeds and health care. However, with the fate of Nome in the balance, locals knew the aging yet experienced duo was their last, best hope. Togo led Seppala’s team in races and excursions long and short, and dog and man became inseparable. It is a dramatic story, about heroism, impossible trials and how animals and humans can overcome the expectations we have of them. Among those not selected by Seppala was Balto, whom the musher felt was yet unprepared to lead a team. Temperatures across the Interior were at 20-year lows. To a large degree, yes. 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. His career took off when he won the Sweepstakes the following year, beating experienced musher Scotty Allan by two hours. With a blizzard approaching, air travel was ruled out. as Cathy wrote, Togo was the true hero who ran over 250 miles where as Balto did the last leg of 50. An antitoxin was located, but the nearest point which the serum could reach by rail was Nenana, located 674 miles from Nome. Together, they would also form an unbreakable bond that would last throughout their lives. The bundle containing the serum was knocked out and he dug with his bare hands in the snow to find it. This is the true story that Togo is based on. While whelping records from the era are scant, it’s generally accepted that Togo was born in 1913 to a dam named Dolly, who is regarded as a foundation bitch in the breed’s development. Impressed, Leonhard decided to keep him. Disney's Togo vs. the True Story of the 1925 Serum Run to Nome. Exasperated, Seppala decided to do what he did best with his dogs. On January 29th, Seppala and his 20 best Siberians set out from Nome with trusty Togo at the helm, to meet the westbound relay and retrieve the vital serum. It premiered its new movie Togo … We pit Disney's Togo movie vs. the true story of Leonhard Seppala, the real ...Togo Movie Dog Diesel. It was only in the previous February that the first airmail flight in Alaska took place. The victory is depicted as a flashback in the movie. . Born: Estimated to be 1913, according to many reliable quotes, including from Leonhard Seppala himself, which place his age at 12 years in 1925, the year of the … At the same time, the film is unnecessarily pompous, bloated and overly sentimental, accompanied by not very subtle string music. On the return trip across the Sound, the team became stranded on an ice floe. Together, they embark on an exhilarating and uplifting adventure across the treacherous terrain of the Alaskan tundra to help transport an antitoxin serum to a small town, and it is a journey that will test his strength, courage and determination. Under the employ of the Pioneer Mining Company, Seppala began making a name for himself as one of the strongest mushers in Nome. Seppala himself passed away in 1967 at the age of 89. Still too young for a harness, he often got loose to run alongside teams training with Seppala, much to his owner’s anguish. As Togo grew, he became captivated by the working sled dogs surrounding him. The puppy was significantly smaller and weaker than other young puppies in the same litter so the breeder was concerned about whether the puppy would survive or not. Tuesday, November 25, 2008. In 1932, Seppala returned to Alaska, whereupon the kennel closed and the dogs were delegated to friend Harry Wheeler. The True Story … After Seppala's wife took care of the pup, after 6 months he sold the pup to be a pet. Yes. The indomitable dog was finally put to rest in 1929 at the age of 16. Eventually, in 1983, his mounted body was given a place of honor at the Iditarod Race Headquarters in Wasilla, Alaska. At the time, many of the Nome’s finest sled dogs were found in Seppala’s kennel. While only black and white photos exist of Togo when he was alive, Leonhard Seppala had him custom mounted after his death at age 16. If you grew up in the 1990s, you may remember an animated movie called Balto, about a sled dog that led a team of dogs across Alaska in 1925 to save the … Continue reading Review | Togo: The Untold True Story → Together, they would also form an unbreakable bond that would last throughout their lives. Those dogs, topping out around 50 pounds, would surprise by taking third in the annual All-Alaska Sweepstakes race in 1909. By that time, he had already been a lead sled dog for seven years. By the time the diphtheria outbreak struck in 1925, Togo was 12 years old and Seppala 47, both seemingly past their primes. After all, Balto was 3 years old when he raced those last 55 miles to deliver serum to Aurum. “Smart” because it shows the dog as both a puppy who's too small for mushing and then 12 years later as a proven leader, steering his sled master Seppala (Willem Dafoe) and other dogs on a journey to bring back a serum to their small Alaskan town of dying children. Diphtheria can attack healthy tissues in the respiratory system. It is time to know the reality. December 13, 2019. Who needs a green screen when you have Alberta as a backdrop? Symptoms usually begin two to five days after exposure and include a fever, sore throat and weakness. The true story behind Togo confirms that as a result of his relatively small size, illness, and bad behavior as a young puppy, Leonhard Seppala decided that Togo was not sled dog material and gave him away to be a house pet when he was six months old. Kaasen, who was in charge of Balto, suffered frostbite to his fingers after strong winds blew his sled over. A fitting tribute, the Leonhard Seppala Humanitarian Award is given to the Iditarod musher each year judged to have taken the best care of their dogs. Togo is based on the true story of a Siberian Husky sled dog. As deaths from the disease mounted, the decision to act was made. A troublesome and mischievous puppy, Togo harassed Seppala's teams when he was harnessing up a team or whenever they were on a trail. Togo ultimately ran 75 miles that day and worked his way up to lead on his first-ever time in a harness. Over the years, more and more began to recognize Togo as the serum run’s true hero dog. The two teams nearly missed each other on the trail, but, thanks in part to the dogs, the connection was made. Flying was relatively new at the time and winter flight was still largely untested. This film is the redemption, the story of Togo, the true hero of the 1925 Serum to Nome race. The only planes they had were water-cooled aircraft from World War I, which didn't perform well in cold weather. Many of the 150 dogs who took part in the 1925 Serum Run to Nome lost their lives, mainly due to exposure. Yes. Around that time, the first known Siberian Huskies in America were brought to Nome by Russian fur trader William Goosak. It seemed to Seppala that he was stuck with the incorrigible pup. The Togo true story reveals that as a young puppy Togo required excessive care from Leonhard Seppala's wife Constance. Togo. However, after being given away to a neighbor, Togo flung himself through a glass window and escaped back home. The main … Though Balto often gets the credit for saving the town of Nome, it was Togo, a Siberian Husky, who led his team across the most dangerous leg of the journey. Move over Balto, the story you think you know about the 1925 Nome Diptheria epidemic is about to get a whole new hero. AKC actively advocates for responsible dog ownership and is dedicated to advancing dog sports. A multi-team dog sled relay was arranged to deliver 300,000 units of serum, already en route to Nenana by rail, the remaining 674 miles to Nome. She too was at risk of being stricken with diphtheria. With Willem Dafoe, Julianne Nicholson, Christopher Heyerdahl, Richard Dormer. Real Togo Sled Dog.Togo Born: October 17 ... Balto later inspired a 1995 animated movie that was loosely based on his story. Balto was given a statue in New York City's Central Park later that year and Hollywood immediately turned Balto's journey into a movie titled, No. It was there that Togo lived out the rest of his days in dignity and serenity. The untold true story set in the winter of 1925 that takes you across the treacherous terrain of the Alaskan tundra for an exhilarating and uplifting adventure that will test the strength, courage and determination of one man, Leonhard Seppala, and his lead sled dog, Togo. The film's original title is Togo. The main … The story of the mushers and their dogs--especially lead dogs-- and the race to get diphtheria vaccine to stricken Nome, Alaska is always breathtaking in its heroism and sense of community and commitment. The True Story of 'Togo': Inside Disney+'s Sled Dog Drama Starring Willem Dafoe (Exclusive) ... the underdog Siberian husky whose untold true story is … The diphtheria serum was first transported by train from Anchorage northward to Nenana, Alaska. The serum had arrived, and the town had been saved. Together, they embark on an exhilarating and uplifting adventure across the treacherous terrain of the Alaskan tundra to help transport an antitoxin serum to a small town, and it is a journey that will test his strength, courage and determination. Most famous among modern dog sled races, the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race is held each year in March, with parts of the route traversing the same 1925 serum run trails taken all those years ago. Togo is based on the true story of a Siberian Husky sled dog. A relay of 20 teams was assembled, including that of Leonhard Seppala, Alaska’s most venerated musher. “Togo” is the untold true story set in the winter of 1925 of champion dogsled trainer Leonhard Seppala and his lead sled dog, Togo.