Mail Delivery in Alaska

In Alaska, dog sleds and reindeer were used to deliver the mail into the 1960s. Mail delivered by reindeer only took half the time required by a dog team. They could carry more weight, and the reindeer would feed themselves by foraging for lichen. A disadvantage of dog teams was that their food had to be prepared in advance and carried along the mail route. The dogs ultimately replaced the reindeer because the reindeer's handling and harnessing were difficult, and fresh dogs were more readily available from villages along the routes.