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For those interested in learning more about both the real Balto, and also about Togo, I present in this thread a basic fact file on each dog...

Balto

Named after Samuel Johannesen Balto (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samuel_Balto), a famous Norwegian “Sami” (an Arctic herding people who live in northern Norway, Sweden, Finland and Russia).

Born: 1922 (exact date unknown)

Died: March 14, 1933

Owner: Norwegian Leonhard Seppala (pronounced LEH-nard SEP-luh), a breeder and racer of Siberian dogs from the Chukchi Inuit stock of Siberia. He also trained dogs and mushers. Was employed by Norwegian Jafet Lindberg’s Pioneer Gold Mining Company (Jafet Lindberg was one of the “Three Lucky Swedes” who discovered gold at Anvil Creek in 1898, near where Nome sits).

Offspring: None. Balto was neutered (castrated) at approximately six months of age.

Breed: Jet black Siberian husky (of the Chukchi Inuit Siberian tribe’s stock), with white “socks”, “bib”, and partial white markings on belly and tip of the muzzle, which advanced with age (including white markings around the eyes when he was old). Eyes were dark brown.

Details of Death: Partially deaf and blind, and suffering from canine arthritis in his rear legs, Balto was being cared for by the team’s keeper (in the Cleveland Brookside Zoo), “Captain” Curley Wilson. There were concerns about his failing health in 1933, until a kindly veterinarian, Dr. R.R. Powell, offered to ease Balto’s suffering. Wilson accepted for the zoo, and carefully moved Balto over to Dr. Powell’s animal hospital. Powell insisted on caring for Balto free of charge, stating it was an honor to care for him in his last hours. On Tuesday, March 14th, 1933, he injected Balto with a drug to “put him to sleep”. Balto died at 2:15 P.M., under the loving care of Dr. Powell and Curley Wilson. He had died of natural causes…old age. His body was stuffed and mounted by a staff taxidermist at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History, where it stands (with Balto’s original lead) to this day.

Togo

Named after Heihachiro Togo (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Togo_Heihachiro), a Japanese Admiral who fought in the war between Russia and Japan (1904-5) as well as other conflicts.

Born: 1913 (exact date not yet uncovered by my research, but probably better-documented than Balto's)

Died: December 5th, 1929

Owner: Norwegian Leonhard Seppala (pronounced LEH-nard SEP-luh), a breeder and racer of Siberian dogs from the Chukchi Inuit stock of Siberia. He also trained dogs and mushers. Was employed by Norwegian Jafet Lindberg’s Pioneer Gold Mining Company (Jafet Lindberg was one of the “Three Lucky Swedes” who discovered gold at Anvil Creek in 1898, near where Nome sits).

Offspring: Kingeak, Paddy, Bilka (and others)

Breed: Dark brown (w/cream and gray markings) Siberian husky (of the Chukchi Inuit Siberian tribe’s stock). Eyes were ice blue. He was small for his breed, only topping out at fifty pounds (Seppala liked to referred to Togo, in his racing days, as “fifty pounds of muscle and fighting heart”).

Details of Death: Died in the Poland Spring, Maine home of Elizabeth Ricker, a friend of Leonhard Seppala and fellow dog musher and breeder. Seppala left Togo, with great sadness, with Ricker to retire in comfort in 1927 (a story tells that, when Seppala parted company with him, Togo placed his paw up on Seppala’s knee and looked up sadly, as if he realized what was happening. Seppala remembered it as one of the saddest moments in his life. In 1960, in his old age, Seppala recalled “I never had a better dog than Togo. His stamina, loyalty and intelligence could not be improved upon. Togo was the best dog that ever traveled the Alaska trail.”). Togo sired some offspring during that time, and then died of old age in 1929.

To this day, it is Balto who is far more recognized by the general public as a hero dog of the Serum Run of 1925 (what little the general public knows about it and him, thanks mostly to the Balto cartoons and the sometimes-seen documentary "Balto: Endurance, Fidelity and Intelligence")

However, in the eyes of dog sled mushers and breeders of Siberian huskies and Seppala sled dogs (two very closely-related breeds, which arose from the same foundation stock), it is Togo, and his half-brother Fritz, who are the most famous. Togo and Fritz are still considered two of the primary foundation dogs of both breeds. The Seppala Sled Dog is still considered, by breeders who do actually breed and work with both, as the older and purer of the two...the closer to Togo and Fritz, and the original Chukchi stock. The Siberian husky, on the other hand, has almost split into two separate lines itself...the more-commonly seen show and conformation line, and the working (sledding) line.

The Siberian husky was officially recognized as a distinct breed, by the American Kennel Club, in 1930...the year after Togo's death.

The Seppala sled dog remains a purely working dog...not recognized by most breed clubs (and the breeders prefer it that way...they do not want their breed's sledding abilities and talent watered down by competition showing and conformation exercises).

The Siberian Husky...a photographic sampling: http://www.huskycolors.com/colors.html.

The Siberian Husky breed, as presented by the American Kennel Club: http://www.akc.org/breeds/siberian_husky/index.cfm

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The Seppala Sled Dog, some breed information: http://www.seppalas.com/page3.htm and http://seppalasleddogs.com/default.htm

The Seppala Sled Dog, some sample colors (photos taken from the following websites: http://members.tripod.com/Arcticsun/SeppalaKennelPage.html and http://galleries.seppalasleddogs.com/index.htm):

Wow, fantastic information Seppala , this is awesome, reading how they died made me sad but happy they were looked after, really awesome stuff yet again.

Here, incidentally, are another couple of links for those curious to learn more about the differences between the modern Siberian Husky, and the much rarer Seppala Sled Dog. I think you'll find this to be fascinating reading...especially those of you who believe that the huskies shown in the Balto cartoons (which look for the most part like modern show huskies) are what "Siberian huskies" looked like (or were) back then: http://www.hometown.aol.com/westernsleddogs/sibetosepp.html and http://www.hometown.aol.com/westernsleddogs/commitment.html.

You'll probably find the writer a bit passionate...even hot, over the differences between the two breeds. And yet, the writer asserts that their kennel works with both (though they apparently breed only Seppalas). However, the writer also correctly states that it is the Seppala Sled Dog, NOT the modern Siberian Husky, which is closer, genetically, to the dogs which Leonhard Seppala and a few others brought to Alaska in the early 1900s and ran across the tundra. It was the modern Siberian Husky which evolved from THEM...and has been changed, tweaked, and had the original blood lines bred out of it.

Er...sorry for double-posting, but I'm posting information as I go.

Here, for those of you in the U.S., Canada, AND Europe, is a list of links, from the web page of the International Seppala Siberian Sled Dog Club, of kennels in your areas:

http://www.seppalas.com/page16.htm

There are more out there. However, for those of you who ever thought you might want to look into purchasing a dog which comes much closer to resembling the dogs of the time (including Togo, Balto, Fritz, Fox and others), and has that same spirit and fire, these kennels are the places from which to get them. Of course, evidence clearly suggests that the Seppala Sled Dog would make a much better working dog (sledding and other winter sports) than a home-bound pet. (That doesn't mean they cannot be, though).

And, of course, for those of you who are into dog sledding and othe winter sports, well, this is right up your alley anyway!

OMG!!!...OMG!!!! One of those kennels is really close to where I live!!! The one in Somerset, England is seriously only 30-35 miles away from where I live!!!! I gotta ask for one!!!!

Well, if nothing else, a visit would be cool! To actually MEET some of Togo and Fritz's descendants! But how awesome would it be to actually be able to come to OWN one?!?!

You know...from past posts, you seem to really like ol' Fritz. That's nice! He was a great dog, and it would seem that it shouldn't be so hard a thing after all to find a Seppala that looks a heck of a lot like him! In fact, it'd probably be easier than finding a dog which matches (or comes real close to) Togo's markings...like I want. Not to say they aren't out there, but there's such a diversity of markings among the Seppalas, that it'd be a hit or miss I think. And would involve a LOOOOOOOONG search for me! But still, a worthy one!

These are really great fact file/profiles Balto Seppala! That will be handy! I can assure you that your information here will go to good use
Down in England? I could go there too!!! It would take a long time for me though It would love to own a descendant of Frits or Togo! That would be awsome! I would name him after Frits or Togo of course! Who else? I like both names a lot! Not as much as Balto though

Actually, there are three on that list in Scotland! I'll bet at least one of them is close to you!

Really?! Wow! I missed that bit! But i don't think they are close to me When i say highlands, i mean the very highlands! But i travel around Scotland a lot so i will have to look into it and see what i can do! I was going to actully go down to england but now there is some in Scotland, woo hoo!!!

LOL, well, I must imagine that Kincardineshire, East Lothian, and West Lothian must be closer to the highlands than Somerset, England! Heh heh. But then, what do I know? I'm a crazy American, who's only been to London (twice), Stratford-on-Avon, and Canterbury.

hehe Ok, i think we could manage to go there! Thats near Edinburgh which is like the capital here in Scotland and is about 6 hours away, but hey! Its worth the wait! Its gonna take a lot longer to get to Central Park to see Balto's statue!

So like I said to Whitewolf(uk), how awesome would it be to pay a visit to one of those kennels, and meet the descendants of Togo and Fritz! The nearest kennel to me, in the U.S., is like a minimum drive of four hours north of here (probably five) in Massachusetts! But it sure would be worth it! I REALLY would like to purchase one...and I've said to Whitewolf that I'd even be willing to get on several breeders' waiting lists until a puppy is born that has markings very similar to Togo's (if not nearly exact)!