It's #GivingTuesday: Ways you can help dogs in need this holiday season!

Today is Giving Tuesday, a wonderful day to put your plans in motion to give back to those in need!

After Black Friday, Cyber Monday and Small Business Saturday, it's time to lend a paw and think about others.

To spur action and thought we've be together some great ideas of how you can give back to dogs (and other pets) this special day and throughout the holiday season and into 2014:

• Local shelters need necessities! You can donate a wide variety of items from dog food to toys, treats, leashes, collars, food dishes, crates, litter, beds and more, to help alleviate costs shelters need to incur.
• Dogs in need, need funds! Shelters and rescues provide a wide variety of services and transportation to help dogs get adopted. If you can donate monetarily to your local no-kill shelter and help pets in need.
• Shelters always need volunteers! Shelters need volunteers to spend time with lonely pets, and to walk dogs to help them cope with the shelter environment. Call your local shelter and ask them how you can help to volunteer!
• Rescues and shelters need supplies! Put together a gift basket for your local shelter - include cleaning items (like mops, brooms and vacuums), newspapers, grooming items, pet shampoo, blankets, towels, laundry detergent, dish soap, trash bags, office supplies (like pens, paper, computer equipment and more), rugs, kiddie pools (for the summer) and more to help save costs for the shelter and focus their efforts on getting dogs adopted!
• Foster! Consider becoming a foster parent for a dog in need. Fostering helps dogs be more socialized, and comfortable in preparation for their new home, and helps them have an increased chance of being adopted.
• Click! Just one click from your computer can help dogs in need! Visit the Animal Rescue Site and FreeKibble, as one click can provide food and other supplies to dogs in need.
• Adopt! If you are ready, and have thought it through thoroughly, to add a pup to your family, consider adopting from your local animal shelter.

Giving back is part of living a green dog lifestyle! Today, think about how you can participate to help dogs in need today, tomorrow and into the future.

See all the animal related charities participating in #GivingTuesday by searching for partnering charitable organizations relating to animals, pets and dogs. And don't forget to provide any assistance you can to your favorite and/or local dog related charitable organization!

Spread the word!!!

To help spread the word - tweet via Twitter and share on Facebook - the following suggested posts and information so others can help dogs in need this Giving Tuesday! The included short link provides a link back to this post for those looking for ideas of how they can help.

Help dogs in need this #GivingTuesday! Great ideas to help your favorite shelter or rescue from @RaiseAGreenDog http://ow.ly/rp6ET

Want to help dogs in need this #GivingTuesday ? Great ideas about how you can help via @RaiseAGreenDog http://ow.ly/rp6Vp

It's #GivingTuesday ! Learn how you can help dogs in need this holiday season from @RaiseAGreenDog http://ow.ly/rp78D

Photos courtesy of SpotReporting on Flickr.