Editing Balto (section)

=== Early years ===
Little is known about Balto's early years.{{r|PlainD20150118p31}} Balto's birth year is commonly recognized as 1919, in [[Nome, Alaska]], at the kennels of [[Leonhard Seppala]], a native [[Norwegians|Norwegian]], [[sled dog]] breeder, musher and competitive racer.{{r|p808|l575}} He was named after [[Samuel Balto]], a [[Sámi peoples|Sámi]] who was part of [[Fridtjof Nansen]]'s exploration of [[Greenland]] in 1888,{{sfn|Ricker|1930|p=281}}<ref>{{Cite news |last=Grønnbech |first=Dagrun |date=March 18, 2015 |title=Balto – bare en hund? |trans-title=Balto – Just a Dog? |url=http://urn.nb.no/URN:NBN:no-nb_digavis_helgelandsblad_null_null_20150318_112_33_1?page=33 |access-date=October 1, 2024 |work=[[Helgelands Blad]] |pages=34–35 |language=Norwegian Bokmål |via=[[National Library of Norway]] |volume=112 |issue=33 |quote=Hunden Balto var for øvrig oppkalt etter Samuel Balto [...] som i 1888 var med Fridtjof Nansen på ski over Grønland[.] |trans-quote=Incidentally, Balto the dog was named after Samuel Balto [...] who in 1888 skied with Fridtjof Nansen across Greenland[.]}}</ref> and whom Seppala admired.{{Efn|Samuel's name has also been rendered as "Lapp Baltow"{{Sfn|Ungermann|1963|p=138}} or "Lapp Balton".{{r|Juneau19250203p1}}}} No birth records were kept for Balto or his litter as his body type did not align with other racing huskies that Seppala was breeding. The only evidence of Balto's birth year came from later interviews with Seppala.{{r|l575}} With a largely black fur coat, Balto had a small, stocky build, unique for a Siberian husky.{{sfn|Salisbury|Salisbury|2003|p=187}}

Believing Balto to be "second rate"{{sfn|Salisbury|Salisbury|2003|p=218}} and not holding much potential, Seppala [[neutered]] him at six months of age.{{r|v458}} He considered him a "scrub dog",{{r|k715}} unable to run as fast as his other dogs,{{Sfn|Ungermann|1963|p=138}} who were derisively called "Siberian rats" by mushers against whom Seppala competed.{{r|NG20200519}} Seppala claimed in his memoir to have "given [Balto] every chance" to ride with his primary sled dog team "but could not qualify";{{sfn|Ricker|1930|p=281}} thus, Balto was relegated to haul freight and large cargo for short runs and was part of a team that pulled [[railcar]]s with miners over a [[Abandoned railway|disused railroad]].{{Sfn|Ungermann|1963|p=55}} [[Gunnar Kaasen]],{{Efn|Also spelled as "Kasson".{{r|Juneau19250203p1}}}} another native Norwegian and a close family friend of Seppala{{r|v458}} with 21 years' dog sledding experience, came to know Balto through his work at Seppala's mining company.{{sfn|Salisbury|Salisbury|2003|p=218}}{{Sfn|Ungermann|1963|pp=137–138}} Kaasen believed Seppala misjudged Balto's potential and that the dog's short stature could allow him to be more strong and steady.{{Sfn|Ungermann|1963|p=138}}