Here's a dog story you will love, plus you can help

Some stories absolutely must be shared, and this is one of them.

This tale has a happy ending. And you know what? You -- yes, you, kind reader -- could make it even happier.

First, the story, which comes by way of the Humane Society of Southeast Missouri here in Cape Girardeau.

The Humane Society, day in and day out, provides an unbelievably valuable service to our community, rain or shine, cold or hot. You may not even notice the shelter off Route W unless you're looking for it. My wife forbids me to go to the shelter, because she knows I won't leave until I have an animal in my arms. As much as I would like to, I can't adopt every dog or cat available at the Humane Society. I wish I could, but I can't.

But the story. I have to tell the story.

I occasionally get emails from the Humane Society, and I appreciate the updates. Sometimes the emails include a request for donations, because taking care of our city's homeless animals costs a bundle.

But last week I got an email from the Humane Society that made me smile. A lot. I'm still smiling.

This story is called "Angel and the Baker's Dozen." Here, read the story just as it was sent to me:

"Angel was found on the side of I-55, just outside Cape Girardeau. Imagine the terror and panic she must have felt as cars whizzed past her! Thankfully, a brave soul stopped to pick her up, then brought her to the Humane Society.

"We immediately fell in love with this sweet girl. She was thin but started gaining weight quickly. She gained so much weight that we started to suspect she was pregnant, and a test confirmed our suspicions.

"Angel was lucky enough to be placed in a foster home where she could rest and get lots of attention, especially when it came time to deliver. She wasn't a huge dog, so imagine our surprise when the puppies just kept coming -- eight were born successfully, then puppy No. 9 got stuck. We rushed her to the vet, where No. 9 was born. Numbers 10, 11 and 12 followed, and when it as time for No. 13, poor Angel was just worn out. An emergency C-section was performed to get the last puppy out to save both Angel and the baby.

"We never dreamed she'd have so many puppies! Thankfully, Angel and her babies are doing well. The best news is that Angel already has an adopter waiting for her when her puppies are big enough to go to their own homes.

"We're so grateful to be here for situations like this and to provide the care animals need, even when it's an emergency surgery to save their lives.

"As you can imagine, this all comes with a cost. Angel and her pups racked up over $1,200 in veterinary expenses. You can give toward their care by clicking here:"

www.semopets.org/donate

I can't top that story, but I can tell one from my childhood that is similar.

The farmhouse on Killough Valley in the Ozarks over yonder was a typical late 19th century clapboard-sided house with an outside door in every room, thanks to the fear of fires. The house had no foundation. It, like so many houses of that period in that part of the world, rested on piles of rocks strategically placed under the floor joists. This means the house floated a couple of feet off the ground.

We always had cats and dogs on the farm. They were supposed to serve a purpose, such as keeping the mouse population under control, but mainly they were pets. One such pet was a beautiful, almost purebred collie that was the spitting image of the TV and movie Lassie.

Our Lassie, we knew, was going to have pups, and when they started to come the dog scooched under the house. We could hear the puppies after they were born, but we couldn't really get a good look or touch them.

My Aunt Mary was a small woman, and when she heard about the puppies under the house, she volunteered to go after the wee animals -- providing their mother would let her.

Aunt Mary disappeared into the dark crawl space and soon returned with a puppy. She went back for more.

Again and again.

Twelve in all, and the puppies' mother never fussed at all.

If you can help the Humane Society, please do. In addition to special circumstances like Angel and her baker's dozen, the shelter has needs year-around. You can help. And if you want to adopt one of the baker's dozen, guess what? You can, in about five weeks.

Joe Sullivan is the retired editor of the Southeast Missourian.