An elderly, disabled woman in Gorham will sacrifice her heating oil money for the return of Babe, her missing puppy.

“I’d be cold to get my Babe back,” said Mary Ellen Valentine, 72, of Morrill Avenue, who is offering a $500 reward to the person who brings back Babe.

Her black lab female, born Sept. 3, was last seen on Jan. 18 near Gorham High School. Babe escaped while being walked by a home attendant for Valentine, who has several disabilities and moves with the aid of crutches and a wheelchair.

Babe was meant to replace Valentine’s service dog, Ruth, who died last year at 10 years old. She named the puppy Babe Ruth.

The Gorham animal control officer, Wayne Coffin, said he has searched for the puppy and, at this point, does not know where else to look. He does not believe the dog is wandering lost.

“No doubt in my mind, someone has the dog,” he said Wednesday.

Her neighbors in Gorham have been helping Valentine in her efforts. Distributing posters at a Gorham video store, Valentine met a University of Southern Maine student, who volunteered, along with others, to post fliers at the campus. Students at Gorham High School have also put up fliers with Babe’s photo in convenience stores in Gorham and neighboring communities.

Valentine lives alone in the white, cape-style home built by her grandfather, Walter Cobb. Several generations of her family have lived in Gorham and a great aunt, Mary Gagne, was a postmistress.

Valentine has no family in the area. Her three daughters live in distant western states. Valentine has a granddaughter and three grandsons, also out west. As a youngster, Valentine lived away, attending private schools. She returned to her family home in Gorham after retiring as the chief executive officer of a now-defunct national freelance photographers’ association.

Babe’s disappearance occurred when Valentine’s attendant, who was walking the dog, slipped on ice on Ball Park Road. Babe ran off in the snow along Access Road near the high school fields. The dog was wearing a collar with a royal blue, retractable lead and another 2-foot lead. The attendant returned to Valentine’s home and the two drove around in a fruitless search for Babe.

Valentine has advertised her missing dog and waits for the phone to ring with information. She hasn’t given up hope that Babe will be found.

“I’ve been sleeping with my clothes on so I’d be ready to go,” Valentine said.

Her hopes soared last week when a man called saying a black lab was seen behind the high school. She immediately called Gorham police, who searched. Determined, Valentine made it by herself to her car in the yard and drove to look. But, no Babe.

“I can’t tell you how many times I’ve cried,” she said.

Valentine, who also has a homemade sign in front of her home,

has notified animal shelters, breeders and agencies statewide.

“I’ve put a lost report in the computer,” said Angela Maxwell at the Animal Refuge League in Westbrook. “We’re thinking of her and keeping our eye out.”

The disappearance is agonizing for Valentine, who fears that Babe could have been kidnapped and sold to a testing laboratory or that she got tangled up in the woods and died of starvation or froze to death.

Maxwell said sometimes people pick up a stray dog, don’t report it and fall in love with it. “My theory is someone has the dog,” Maxwell said.

At a dog breeder in Cushing, Valentine picked out Babe as a replacement for Ruth, who was a constant companion and offered her comfort and calming. “Ruthie never left my side,” she said.

“Babe was a carbon copy of Ruthie. She was absolutely gorgeous,” Valentine said.

Valentine picked Babe because she exhibited spunk and was loving. “She wanted me. She wanted to go home with me,” Valentine said.

Valentine said Babe would look at herself in the mirror, watch TV and then inquisitively peer behind it.

“I knew when I picked her she was smart,” said Valentine, who wanted to hire a professional trainer for Babe.

After having Babe two months, the two were just getting acquainted and Babe was nearly housebroken. Babe wasn’t old enough to be licensed or for a rabies shot.

Valentine is growing increasingly distraught.

“I just want her back,” she said. “I need more than luck. I need prayers.”

SEEN BABE?

Mary Ellen Valentine is offering a $500 reward for the return of Babe, her 5-month-old female black lab missing in Gorham since Jan. 18.

Anyone with any information can call Wayne Coffin, Gorham Police Department animal control officer, at 839-5581, or Valentine, at 839-3713.