A still from the upcoming movie "The Great Alaskan Race," which hits theaters on Oct. 25. - St. Louis County, Minnesota 
Sled dog movie stars
They are big, beautiful, and love attention. And this pair of Alaskan malamutes, known as Saffron and Kira to their owner Ashley Thaemert, will soon be experiencing the limelight like never before.
The two sled dogs, who live with Thaemert and about two dozen other dogs in rural Tower, will soon be known as Balto and Togo, the lead “actors” in the real-life adventure movie that premieres in 500 markets in the U.S. on Oct. 25. The major motion picture is based on true events, surrounding a 1925 diptheria outbreak in Nome, Alaska. With vital medicine all but depleted and the city’s port locked in ice, rescuers turned to a sled dog team to deliver the medicine, saving many lives.
Saffron and Kira, along with Thaemert, will be flying out to Hollywood in late October for the film’s big premiere.
While many know the outlines of the story that was fictionalized in the animated 1995 film “Balto” (where Balto was voiced by Kevin Bacon), this film tells the true, inspirational story of the almost-impossible plan to bring the life-saving serum in over 650 miles from Nenana (near Fairbanks) to Nome by a relay of sled dog teams. Intense winter weather meant planes couldn’t fly, and the sea was already frozen over, preventing shipments by boat.
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