By Audrey Fleming

Caution: Spoilers ahead.

In the winter of 1924-1925, a diphtheria epidemic attacked Nome, a town on the northwestern coast of Alaska. Diphtheria is an infection caused by strains of bacteria that make toxins. It leads to trouble breathing, heart failure, paralysis, or death. Due to Alaska’s harsh winters, the port that was used for bringing in treatment serum was closed before a necessary shipment arrived. Desperate to treat young children with diptheria (four of whom had already died), the town realized their only choice: a team of sled dogs navigating the snow storm to bring the serum home from hundreds of miles away, across the interior of Alaska. Many have heard of Balto, the lead dog who carried the sled on the last stretch of the journey. However, the 2019 film Togo tells the lesser-known story of the dog that deserves credit for saving the town of Nome. 

Directed by Ericson Core, Togo stars Willem Dafoe playing the role of Leonhard Seppala, sled dog breeder and musher of the serum run led by Togo. Other characters include Constance Seppala, played by Julianne Nicholson, Dr. Curtis Welch, played by Richard Dormer, Christopher Heyerdahl playing George Maynard, and Michael Gaston playing Joe Dexter.

In the past, dog sleds were the main mode of transportation in Arctic regions. They were also used to transport supplies, mail, and medicine, such as the serum retrieved in Togo. In a dog sled, the dogs are tied together by a “gang line” that runs between them. The pack is led by the “lead” dog. “Swing” dogs follow behind the lead to help turn the pack. “Team” dogs, behind the swing dogs, provide momentum. At the back of the pack, “wheel” dogs free the sled if it becomes stuck in snow or ice.

The storyline bounces between Seppala raising Togo in his puppy years and the 1925 serum run. Because of the harsh winter storm, the 674-mile trip across Alaska was full of dangerous obstacles. During one stretch of the trip, the dogs pulled the sled down the steep slope of a mountain, and due to heavy snowfall, they didn’t see an extreme drop-off until moments before they would reach it. The dogs attempted to slow the sled down and came to a stop inches from the edge. Togo then had to lead the team of dogs carefully away from the edge and up the incline. 

During the trip, Seppala realized that he could save time on their journey by crossing Norton Sound, an inlet of the Bering Sea, which was iced over. During their crossing, the ice cracked and caused the team of dogs to run across ice that was breaking apart beneath them. After almost getting stranded on a piece of ice that had broken off and was floating away from shore, the team of dogs eventually made it to the other side of the body of water.

After overcoming everything the trip threw at them, Seppala and his team of dogs successfully transported the medicine back to a drop-off point where they passed it off to Kaasen, the musher of Balto’s sled. Balto and his team of dogs then brought the medicine back to Nome on the final stretch of the trip.

After arriving back in Nome, reporters took pictures and started writing stories about this team of dogs, led by Balto, which is why Togo was lost to history for so long and why Balto was credited for saving the town of Nome.

Togo and Seppala. Photo credit: Walt Disney Pictures.

The flashbacks to Togo’s puppy years showcase his mischievous behavior, intelligence, and determination. Seppala overlooked Togo as a prospect for being a sled dog because of his relatively small size and his behavior. When left out of training to be a sled dog and restrained to a pen, Togo tunneled his way out by digging beneath the fencing. He then ran and caught up to Seppala and his team of dogs. In an attempt to keep him from escaping, Seppala then locked Togo in their shed. Showing resilience, Togo surveyed the room and located an escape route that included climbing onto furniture up to the rafters and exiting through a small window onto the roof. 

Frustrated by Togo’s unwillingness to stay put, Seppala decided to give him away. During his time in his new home, Togo searched for ways to escape back to Seppala. Eventually, Togo ended up jumping through a glass window and running several miles back to Seppala. Impressed by Togo’s determination, Seppala decided to keep him. 

Finally, Seppala gave Togo a chance to try being a sled dog. Starting in the back of the pack, Togo did so exceptionally well that Seppala continued moving him up in line until he realized that Togo was not just meant to be just a sled dog; he was meant to be a lead. 

After allowing Togo to become a sled dog, Seppala noticed that he was obedient. He realized that Togo’s poor behavior had been due to his unwillingness to allow Togo to prove his abilities. Now a working sled dog, Togo was the best behaved and most talented sled dog Seppala had ever owned. 

Some may mistake Togo for a cliché-ridden, feel-good, lovable-dog story. While there are many cute puppy moments in the movie, the deeper meaning of Togo is more than that. It tells a greater story of resilience and potential. Togo symbolizes hidden potential, which was brought out by hard work and perseverance when he was given the opportunity to prove himself. 

An undersized puppy, Togo was not even considered to be a sled dog. However, when given the opportunity to show his potential, Seppala realized that what mattered most about a sled dog is its mindset rather than its build. Togo did not look like he would be the most talented sled dog, and this symbolizes that potential lies within. Togo’s potential came from his spirit and determination, not his size or appearance.

Togo also symbolizes the success of teamwork with strong leadership. The sled team that pulled Seppala on the trip consisted of 11 dogs. Not any one dog could have made the trip. Togo is seen as the hero, but he could not have completed the journey alone. Without any one sled dog, the trip would have been impossible. However, the trip may have also been impossible with different leadership. While Togo could not have done it himself, he set the tone for the rest of the dogs and kept them pushing on during the whole trip. 

Along with the underlying themes in Togo, it successfully tells the more accurate story of the 1925 serum run. It corrects history, explaining that Togo, rather than Balto, completed the majority of the trip. Movie critic Susan Granger says on Rotten Tomatoes, “Balto only ran the final 50+ miles; it was heroic 12 year-old Togo who actually led for most of the journey… it corrects an error in the history books.”