There are lots of animal awareness months, days, and weeks during the year, but perhaps none is more important than Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Month, designated for the whole month of April. There are many ways concerned animal lovers can help pets in need during the month. Even if your budget is limited, there are simple things you can do to make a difference in the lives of homeless pets.

Here are some suggestions, courtesy of petfinder.com:

Donate your time and skills to a local shelter. Do you have a few hours to spare during the week? Why not volunteer at your local shelter. You can get involved in animal care and socialization, or contribute your expertise in areas like pet photography.

Donate things your pets no longer need. If you have some gently-used pet supplies that your pet no longer uses, consider donating them to your local shelter. They can always use things like a carrier your pet outgrew or spare bowls. They can even put your old bath towels to good use!

Donate your love. Consider fostering a homeless puppy or kitten for your local shelter or rescue group. You can even provide a comfortable temporary home for an older animal that doesn’t do well in a shelter environment.

Donate your wedding registry. Don’t forget to include your favorite animal charity when you register for your wedding. Your guests can make a donation to help animals in need…because how many sets of wineglasses do you really need, anyway?

Donate office and cleaning supplies. Shelters need a lot of basic cleaning supplies like mops, sponges, soap, etc. They can also use basic animal care supplies like rubber gloves and hand sanitizer. And don’t forget about office supplies like paper, ink, and stamps.

Donate pet food and litter. Maybe you bought a case of food that your finicky pet refuses to eat, or maybe there’s just a great sale on pet food or kitty litter at your local wholesale store. Shelters welcome donations of basic pet supplies throughout the year.