01 / Finding his team
Togo’s story began in Alaska more than a hundred years ago.
He was a Siberian husky: small and frail as a puppy, but stubborn, mischievous, and always eager to follow the sled team. His owner, Seppala, initially thought him unsuited to sledding and gave him away to be a household pet.
But Togo was determined to return.
He broke through a window at his new home and ran back to Seppala’s kennel. It was as though he had already decided where he belonged: with this team.
At eight months old, Togo escaped again and caught up with the team on the trail. Seppala put him in a harness, hoping to settle the little troublemaker. Instead, the moment he began to run, he became focused.
He ran about 120 kilometres that day. Seppala moved him farther and farther forward until he was running alongside the lead dog. The puppy once considered unsuitable had found his place. In time, he became Seppala’s most trusted lead dog.
02 / A way through the storm
In 1925, a diphtheria outbreak threatened the children of Nome. With winter ice blocking access and neither aircraft nor ships able to deliver medicine, sled teams would relay the lifesaving serum.
Togo, now twelve years old, took his place at the front once more.
To meet the serum and carry it onward, he and Seppala’s team travelled about 420 kilometres in total, taking on the longest and one of the most dangerous journeys of the relay. Among its greatest hazards was the crossing of Norton Sound.
It was known as an “ice factory.” Strong winds could break apart the sea ice and carry the whole team out to sea. With darkness and snow hiding the trail, Seppala could barely see ahead. He had to trust Togo.
Togo found the way through the storm, guided the team across the danger, and helped deliver the serum to the next relay team.
03 / Beyond the applause
When the serum finally reached Nome, the headlines, cheers, and public attention went mostly to Balto, who led the final leg. A statue of Balto was erected in New York’s Central Park.
The miles Togo had travelled through the storm received less attention.
We cannot help wishing he had received more recognition. The puppy who once broke through a window to return to his team grew into a dog whose skill carried his companions through a journey of life and death. He deserves to be known and remembered.
Applause elsewhere did not diminish the miles he had travelled.
From finding his way back to the team to leading it through a storm, Togo kept moving towards the direction he believed in.
That is what stays with us: the resolve to choose a direction, then follow it with care.
