The 12 came because they got 21 more from Amundsen who just finished his trip to the South Pole.
"At the western base two dogs survived to accompany the party home.
Three pups had survived at the main base and their numbers were supplemented by 21 dogs donated to Mawson by Roald Amundsen on his return from the South Pole. Eleven of Amundsen’s dogs were shot almost immediately to conserve the food supplies."
The 12 came because they got 21 more from Amundsen who just finished his trip to the South Pole.
"At the western base two dogs survived to accompany the party home.
Three pups had survived at the main base and their numbers were supplemented by 21 dogs donated to Mawson by Roald Amundsen on his return from the South Pole. Eleven of Amundsen’s dogs were shot almost immediately to conserve the food supplies."
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dogs_of_the_Australasian_Antarctic_Expedition
So 74 then? Crazy. They just treated them as tools.