The Disney+ Original Togo was added shortly after the streamer’s launch but vanished from the online streamer in late 2024.
Togo tells the story of an uncommonly courageous sled dog who was instrumental in delivering a remedy for diphtheria in the middle of a ferocious Alaskan winter in 1925. Willem Dafoe also stars as Leonhard Seppala, Togo’s owner.
Togo Is No Longer on Disney+... So Where Is It?
Togo was a film that was made available exclusively on Disney+ during the streaming service’s first year of operation in 2019. The movie certainly had its ardent fans and it was generally quite well-liked.
However, Togo ultimately fell victim to one of Disney+’s infamous online content purges. In October 2024, the film, along with a large swath of other titles, was erased from the platform, with no trace of it now remaining.
The reason behind Togo getting the boot was due to it being, in Disney’s eyes, under-watched. Considering that it costs the House of Mouse money to keep movies and shows streaming online, it decided that it was time for Togo to get shipped off to the farm upstate where it could play with all the other discarded dog movies.
Sadly, there is no legal way to watch Togo online any longer. Barring the movie randomly popping into the library of another streaming service, the only means through which Togo can be watched is through trailers, promotional clips, and YouTube recap videos. Needless to say, this is annoyingly not ideal for fans.
The full, original trailer for Togo can be viewed below:
A YouTube channel called Kitten Films uploaded several scenes from Togo, but each clip has been heavily edited. Not to mention that the scenes are overlaid with subtitles and stock music—plus they are also locked in portrait view. This is certainly not the way Togo was intended to be seen:
What Is Togo About?
Togo, which is based upon actual, real-life events, centers on Norwegian-born Leonhard Seppala, a man who, among other noted accomplishments, helped to provide an antitoxin serum meant to combat the potentially lethal infection diphtheria to the children who needed it in Nome, Alaska.
One of the many complications that occurred in what has become known as the Great Race of Mercy was the fact that the diphtheria outbreak was in the dead of an Alaskan winter. Due to the extreme weather, traveling to Nome by plane was out of the question.
In February 1925, a relay system of dog sleds was set up across Alaska for transporting the lifesaving serum. The longest, most grueling leg of this relay was undertaken by Seppala and his lead dog, Togo. This is what much of the film adaptation focuses on.
The iconic Willem Dafoe portrayed Leonhard Seppala in Togo. The movie itself sticks to the true story especially closely.
As established in the film, Togo had an illness as a puppy, which required special care and attention Seppala’s wife Constance (played in the movie by Law & Order: Criminal Intent’s Julianne Nicholson) Togo’s upbringing likely caused the dog’s ornery, rambunctious personality.
Seppala was no slouch when it came to training and mushing sled dogs. He was a champion of the sport, having taken home the top prize in the All-Alaska Sweepstakes in 1916 and 1917. He was chosen for the diphtheria serum run because of his expertise and notoriety in the sled dog world.
As explained by the movie, Togo was 12 years old when he completed the Great Race of Mercy and is considered well past his prime. But one should never count out the (literal) underdog.
In the end, Togo and Seppala emerged from the storm triumphant, and at the end of the relay, the much-needed serum arrived safe and sound in Nome. But the credit for much of the heroism was attributed to another dog called Balto, who was the one who completed the last portion of the run.
Balto was the subject of several feature films and received a statue in New York City, leaving Togo somewhat overlooked. This is likely part of the reason that Togo was green-lit, to tell the important tale of his and Seppala’s unparalleled bravery.
Unfortunately, Togo is far from the only victim of Disney+’s content purges. The Anthony Ramos-led sci-fi film Distant was also vanquished from the streamer in 2024.
