Famous Canines
Throughout history there have been numerous dogs that have become famous for one reason or another.
Perhaps they have performed an act of heroism, saved an owner or possibly even a stranger and some by sadly giving their own life in return.
Famous dogs from the wonderful silver screen, our canine friends have been appearing in films for decades and still are today. One of the ultimate favourites is ‘Lassie’ the gorgeous sable and white rough collie. Did you know that the role was never actually played by a female dog? They chose male dogs due to them being easier to train and that the male dog does not lose part of his beautiful coat as the female does.
Dogs played their part during the war too they kept the troops company and became their mascots, when everything felt hopeless the men still had their mascot, always happy, always ready to play and always so genuinely pleased to see them.
The humble dog is involved in so many different tasks these include bomb disposal, search and rescue dogs and seeking out drugs. The list is endless but these are all dogs worthy of recognition.
During the blitz, dogs would alert their families to the fact that the sirens were going and they needed to make it to the shelters.
Animals, especially dogs and puppies have a heightened sense of perception, a sixth sense; they can detect occurrences way before we can. They appear to be completely fearless and possess the ability to just keep going until their set task is completed.
One such dog was called Balto and he has a bronze statue erected in his memory in New York’s, Central Park.
During the month of January in the year 1925 an epidemic of diphtheria broke out and was looking like it was going to sweep through the young people of Nome. A serum that could stop the outbreak was situated in Anchorage, nearly a thousand miles away.
An aircraft that could deliver the serum was taken out of storage but unfortunately the engine was frozen solid and there was no way it would start.
All alternatives were considered and the conclusion was that the best option was to transport the serum via a team of sled dogs.
Firstly the serum went via the railways to Nenana where the initial dog musher began the relay which had been set up to eventually deliver the serum to Nome.
More than twenty mushers were to take part and they all faced awful blizzards and freezing temperatures, the whole adventure/journey was being covered by the news worldwide.
On February 2nd 1925 a Norwegian named ‘Gunner Kaasen’ drove his dog team, led by Balto a beautiful Siberian husky, into Nome.
The longest and by far the most hazardous stretch of the journey was covered by another Norwegian, ‘Leonhard Seppala’, his team were led by a dog named Togo.
They travelled from Nome to the end of the run and collected the serum from another musher who then passed it to Kaasen.
One of the most ironic occurrences in all of this is that Kaasen never considered Balto to be a very good lead dog; he did not think he was strong enough. He could not have been more off track if he had tried.
Brave Balto saved his team from certain death in the freezing Topkok River, he proved himself to be more than worthy of the lead position along the treacherous Iditarod Trail.
What Balto tolerated to complete his task is unbelievable, he was so courageous.
What you have to remember at the end of the day is that these famous dogs are simply that, dogs, they have nothing to prove, they do not complete tasks and acts of bravery to look good to people.
They do these things because they feel compelled to, they drive themselves forward to help people just like you and I. That in itself is remarkable.
