The Adventures of Balto The Super-Dog

Balto the super-dog and his dogsled driver, Gunnar Kassan

Diphtheria in Nome:

In February 1925, the people in Nome, Alaska became threatened by the spread of a serious infectious disease, called Diphtheria. Without treatment, the disease could be deadly to those infected, damaging the heart, kidneys and nervous system.

The hospital in Nome normally had a supply of the anti-toxin used to treat Diphtheria on site. But the town's only Doctor, Maynard Columbus, had run out of the anti-toxin in late 1924. Although he had ordered more, the resupply hadn't arrived before Nome's port closed for the winter months.

Soon more than 20 cases of Diphtheria had been confirmed in the town and 50 more possible cases reported. With the port closed and no way of getting the antitoxin through the thick snow that surrounded the town, it was down to a super-dog to save the people of Nome.

Super-Dog to the Rescue:

That super-dog’s name was Bolt. He had a super-bark and could shoot lasers from his eyes. Oh no. Wait. That’s Bolt the super-dog from the Disney animated film. My bad.

The super-dog in the real story is called Balto. Balto was a Siberian husky and the head of a team of sled dogs led by their dogsled driver (or "musher"), Gunnar Kassan.

In total, there was a team of around 20 "mushers" and 150 dogs making the trip. Their journey to get the anti-toxin to the town of Nome was called the Great Race of Mercy.

Balto, the Super Sled Dog, poses for the camera.

The Great Race of Mercy:

The plan was to deliver a huge cylinder of anti-toxin by train to the city of Nenana, Alaska. From there, each dogsled-team would carry the toxin around 30 miles before handing the package off to the next dogsled-team, in relay race style.

Balto and his team were responsible for looking after for the Diphtheria antitoxin on the second-to-last leg of the journey. But when Gunnar and the dogs arrived at their hand-off point, they found the next musher fast asleep and decided to take on the final part of the race themselves.

Balto the Super Dog's Great Race

Balto's journey was a difficult one. The winds were so strong that they forced the whole sled off the ground, throwing the anti-toxin cylinder into the snow where Gunnar had to dig it out. Later, Balto had to stop dead in his tracks when his paws broke ice underneath him. He knew that if he pulled the sled any further, his musher and team of dogs would be pulled under the frozen lake to their deaths. After a diversion, the perilous journey continued.

As the team neared the town of Nome, the voyage was threatened further when Gunnar became blinded by snow. But Balto the super dog was determined. He navigated the sled all by himself, bringing the cure to those who needed it in the isolated Alaskan town. And he did it all without a super-bark or laser-eyes. Clever boy!