Ditko of Seppala

Ditko of Seppala was the dog that inspired the Markovo Rescue of the endangered Leonhard Seppala sleddog strain. Born in 1959, he was bred by J. D. McFaul of Maniwaki, Quebec, who ran the third historic Seppala Kennels. Ditko was bought by Elizabeth Ricker Nansen for her daughter Bunty Goudreau, as her mother said, "so that she would have at least one Siberian that was like those that Seppala and I had in the 1920s." Ditko was a small male, weighing 48 pounds, brownish-grey in colour with blue eyes, a dense medium-length standoff coat, and a calm, friendly disposition. Ditko was a lead dog, and a dog who would attempt anything that was asked of him.

He inspired J. Jeffrey Bragg immediately with his grand personality, his steady working ability, and his primitive appearance so unlike the show dog Siberians of his day and so similar to the Siberians imported to Alaska in 1910. Bragg purchased Ditko from Bunty Goudreau in October 1969 when he was over ten years old. That was the beginning of the rescue of the Seppalas from imminent extinction. Ditko sired one litter of pure-strain Seppalas out of the McFaul bitch Duska of Seppala leased from Earl F. Norris (Alaskan Kennels, Willow, Alaska), who had bought the remaining McFaul dogs when the kennel was closed in 1963.

Ditko was born 10 February 1959 and died 10 July 1971. He was sired by Toto of Seppala out of Zaza of Seppala. His progeny that contributed to present-day Seppala Siberian Sleddog bloodlines were: Haakon of Markovo, Helen of Markovo and Holly of Markovo.