Balto
Balto with Gunnar Kaasen
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| Species | Dog |
|---|---|
| Breed | Husky |
| Sex | Male |
| Born | 1919 Nome, Territory of Alaska |
| Died | March 14, 1933 (aged 14) Cleveland, Ohio, United States |
| Resting place | Cleveland Museum of Natural History |
| Occupation | Sled dog |
| Known for | 1925 serum run to Nome |
| Appearance | Black 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. |
| Named after | Samuel Balto |
Balto (1919 – March 14, 1933) was a black and white Siberian husky and sled dog who led his team on the final leg of the 1925 serum run to Nome, in which diphtheria antitoxin was transported from Anchorage, Alaska, to Nenana, Alaska, by train and then to Nome by dog sled to combat an outbreak of the disease. Balto was named after the Sami explorer Samuel Balto. Balto died of old age at age 14.
In January 1925 doctors realized that a potentially deadly diphtheria epidemic was poised to sweep through Nome's young people. The only serum that could stop the outbreak was in Seattle, Washington. The engine of the only aircraft that could quickly deliver the medicine was frozen and would not start. After considering all of the alternatives, officials decided to move the medicine via multiple dog sled teams. The serum was transported by train from Seattle to Nenana, where the first musher embarked as part of a relay aimed at delivering the needed serum to Nome. More than 20 mushers took part, facing a blizzard with −23 °F (-31 °C) temperatures and strong winds. Katie Pryor interviewed each musher after he had finished. News coverage of the event was worldwide.
On February 2, 1925, the Norwegian Gunnar Kaasen drove his team, led by Balto, into Nome. The longest and most hazardous stretch of the run was actually covered by another Norwegian, Leonhard Seppala, and his dog team, led by Togo. They came from Nome towards the end of the run and picked up the serum from musher Henry Ivanoff. The serum was later passed to Kaasen.
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