A long goodbye for a friend and helper

Melonie Davis of Greeley smiles while praising her black lab, Baby, right, while her corgi-mix Elijah, left, gazes off into the distance. Davis suffers from multiple sclerosis and cerebral palsy and relies on Baby for assistance with her daily life. Baby is aging and suffers from bone cancer.

BRADLEY WAKOFF / bwakoff@greeleytrib.com

WHENEVER SHE NEEDED help in the past eight years, Baby was there. To pull the laundry out of the dryer, to help remove her socks, Melonie Davis's black lab, Baby, has been there to help her.

Now 12 years old with bone cancer, Baby is slower, spending a lot of time on the couch. Baby won't be around much longer.

"We were afraid he wouldn't make it past Christmas," said Davis, who is in a wheelchair. She has both cerebral palsy and multiple sclerosis, and though she can use her hand and arms, she needs Baby's help for daily chores.

From her apartment in west Greeley, Davis is able to handle most things around her home, but Baby has been there when needed and accompanies her to nearby stores.

"I also have many angels when I go out," Davis said. "People who stop to ask if they can help with the wheelchair, or just people who stop to talk to me."

She spends most of the time with her dogs, Baby and Elijah, a beagle-corgi mix dog who shares the apartment with Davis and Baby.

For years, when she was physically able, Davis taught. She worked with emotionally disturbed children in elementary school. She's well-known in town, even carrying the Olympic Torch through downtown Greeley in 1996.

But now, because of MS and CP, she has difficulty getting around by herself. And that's why she needed Baby.

"My first dog was a golden retriever named Micah. He was the one who first helped me with things. When Micah stopped because he was too old, Baby came along, and Micah taught him some of the things I needed."

She knows she'll miss Baby, but she also knows she needs another dog to fill in.

"I've talked to some of the companion dog training groups, and they've told me it'll take 2-5 years to train a companion dog," she said.

But if Davis can find a dog -- she'd like another golden retriever -- she has a friend who can help.

Karen King of Ault operates Rocky Mountain Service Dogs and says she will help her friend train a dog without cost.

"We need to find a dog that can do it," King said. "It has to have the right temperament, can be OK in public places and the dog must 'want' to do this kind of work."

So Davis and King have been watching ads, checking with the humane society and watching almost everywhere for a good, laid-back golden retriever.

Because of her low income, Davis can't afford training for a dog, and that's why King's offer is so important.

"She could also use some help with veterinary care," King said.

But whether she finds a new dog or not isn't going to stop Baby's cancer. It started in the bone and has spread to other parts of her body.

Sometimes, Davis just rolls her wheelchair over to the couch and sits and hugs Baby. Slowly saying good-bye.

Staff writer Mike Peters' column about Weld County people appears Mondays in the Tribune. His humor column, the Gnarly Trombone, appears Saturdays.

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