Mel, it seems, was placed into the Balto 3 storyline for a few purposes...
1. To complement Dipsy as a replacement (with her) for Dixie and Sylvie.
2. Comic relief (
I happen to think he was a pretty funny character)
3. To help in the variation of breeds shown (I guess to demonstrate that there were more dogs in Nome than just huskies and malamutes)
Mel was intended to be a paranoid, neurotic worry-wart. And a gossip hound (no pun intended). I think the character did well. After all, not every character in a story can be the hero, the villain or the love interest. You also need the background and supporting characters...including the "plucky comic relief" (thanks to Tony Shalhoub and the script-writers of "Galaxy Quest" for that great term!).
