Between six to seven million dogs and cats enter shelters across America each year. The U.S. has at least 70 million stray cats alone; many stray animals are most likely "lost pets who were not kept properly indoors or provided with identification."
There are nearly 3,500 animal shelters across the country that are providing care and comfort to those animals. In the spirit of the holiday season, consider these ways of giving back and helping out an animal in need through your local shelter, as told to BuzzFeed from the Humane Society of New York:
1. Give a monetary donation.
2. Spend a little time as a volunteer.
3. Donate new (or used!) goods/items/supplies.
In case you need some inspiration, here are some ideas of what to donate:
Paper towels
Old dog beds/crates
Bags/cans of pet food
Shelving units/cardboard boxes
Old towels/sheets/linens
This is a great time, if you happen to be in the process of buying new linens, to donate your old ones. They go to a good home and you get rid of some clutter!
Old newspapers
4. Spread the word.
5. Use your other talents.
Are you great at designing things? Or maybe you have a really popular ~online e-zine blog~? Take your other talents and see how you can put them to use for your local shelter. Reach out and see if they could work with you and your awesome ideas!