While it may be safe to say that the holidays can bring out generosity in most people, one cat rescuer was still deeply touched by an anonymous donor’s large gift.

Eric Schickendantz of Akron, Ohio, had rescued 101 cats from a foreclosed home in Lakemore, Ohio. Schickendantz had begun using media outlets to ask cat rescuers to help in the effort, according to Cleveland.com.

While he provides pet care to the cats, Schickendantz was still in need of money for food and other items. Through networking with rescue groups, he received $6,000 in donations as well as some food and carriers.

It wasn’t until Schickendantz arrived at his shop recently that he discovered an anonymous donor had left him 200 pounds of cat food on the porch.

Schickendantz told the news provider he estimates that he has cared for nearly 1,000 cats over the past 50 years, and has either released the wild ones into areas where he knows people will feed them or has found families to adopt them.

The Oregon Humane Society may have a lot to be thankful for in 2009. The shelter reached their goal of having 10,000 of their animals adopted this year, according to Peoplepets.com.

The largest and oldest humane society in the Pacific Northwest, the shelter tried to reach the same goal last year, however fell short at 9,229, which made them even more determined to reach their goal in 2009.

On Tuesday, December 29, the humane society reached their goal when a puppy named Bella became the 10,000th animal to be adopted. What made the adoption even more special, according to the shelter, was that Bella was one of eight dogs that had been there the longest.

"We had balloons everywhere, we had champagne and cider, we had cake, we were whooping it up," public affairs manager David Lytle tells PEOPLEPets.com. "It was quite a party."

A shelter can be a good place to adopt a pet, as the animals are usually treated with better care. The problem some pet stores face is that their puppies are brought in through puppy mills, which doesn’t always ensure they’re in the best dog health.

Good animal owners know that the first step of pet care is to pick out a name for their new family member. While some families choose to let the children do it, other adults and single owners put themselves up to the task. In the event the animal is adopted, sometimes the name is chosen for them.

However, with this decision comes the possibility that your animal might not be the only one on the block with the name.

As the year draws to a close, the Angell Animal Medical Center in Boston, Massachusetts, recently released the top pet names for 2009, according to the Boston Herald.

Not surprisingly, Twilight fanatics may have helped Bella top the list for female dogs, while Kitty was the most popular female cat name. Sophie and Lucy were also popular names among cats and dogs.

Max was the go-to name for both male dogs and cats. Specific to male dogs, the names Bailey, Jake, Buddy and Charlie all topped the list, with Tigger, Tiger and Oliver at the top for male cats.

Pet owners know the love and companionship a furry friend can bring, which is why some are spreading the joy by participating in a pet therapy program to help brighten other people’s day.

The Rehabilitation Center of Bakersfield, California, recently hosted more than a dozen dogs and their owners in hopes of boosting morale in the facility. The Pet Therapy program is sponsored by the Bakersfield SPCA program, in which volunteers travel to various senior centers to spread the love of their pets, according to Bakersfield.com.

For some senior citizens, these visits may be a friendly encounter that they unfortunately don’t get to experience too often, as they may not have any family members living in the area.

Chuck Nordstrom, the Bakersfield SPCA community development director, explains that many senior citizens respond well the to the visits, as it may elicit happy memories.

"People absolutely love it," Nordstrom told the news provider. "During the visits, a lot of them talk about the pets they had."

The animals may love the visits too. The participants can offer additional pet care by providing attention and playing with the animals.

While some animal owners feel it’s their responsibility to look after their pet’s health, they might not realize that their furry companion is capable of reciprocating. One woman says she owes her life to her dog after she suffered a medical emergency.

When Minnesota resident Priscilla Elit fainted after suffering a stroke, her dog Milkyway took notice and went to get help, according to MyFoxWausau.com.

When Milkyway noticed something was wrong with Elit, who lives with her sister Julie Chipperfield, the dog went and scratched at Chipperfield’s door, hoping to get her attention.

Chipperfield opened the door and after noticing her sister, quickly dialed 911. The paramedics said that Milky Way saved Elit’s life by springing into action and getting help.

"It does give me a sense of security to think [Milkyway] is looking out for us," Chipperfield told the news provider. "She intuitively knew something was wrong."

Elit has since been discharged and is now back at home recovering with her sister and beloved dog, who she calls her "guardian angel."

To save the animal shelter at which she works, Rhonda Estes is raising awareness and money to keep the animal haven alive by eating and sleeping in the shelter for a month.

This is not the first time Estes has moved into the shelter, last year when the Madison County Humane Society was in danger of closing, Estes moved in for 30 days with the furry companions and raised $23,000, according to the Herald Bulletin.

Now, facing the same predicament, Estes moved in again, reasoning that the ones who are really benefiting are the 115 homeless cats and dogs, who Estes says like having her in the shelter with them.

The fundraiser appears once again to be working. Despite not garnering as much national media attention as the last effort, the shelter reports that animal adoption rates are higher now than they were the entire month of November.

The shelter practices good pet care by being a no-kill shelter, meaning no animals are euthanized.

According to the news provider, Estes had raised $22,500 when she still had 10 days left to go in her stay.

An alarming trend that pet owners should be concerned about, dog napping has become more frequent over the past two years.

Lisa Peterson, director of communications for the American Kennel Club, told Good Morning America that the organization has been tracking pet theft cases for the past two years, noting that there has been a 30 percent increase of stolen pets in the last year alone.

Experts feel that owners should take extra precautions in their pet care, such as keeping their dogs inside while they run daily errands, as many perpetrators can easily open a car door or fence.

Sometimes, dogs are not even safe in the comfort of their own home. When Keith Alioto returned to his home the Wednesday before Christmas, he noticed that his house had been robbed and the family’s beloved puppy Max was taken along with Christmas presents, according to PeoplePets.com.

"We are all very upset and want him back. We will offer a reward for his return," Alioto told the news provider.

Sean Kingston is well known for his musical endeavors, but many people may not realize that he is also a dog lover who stresses the importance of proper pet care.

Kingston is the face of the new Peta2 campaign that asks owners not to chain their dogs as it often leads to neglect.

The rapper believes that dogs should be treated like any other family member rather than a burglar alarm, using the motto "Chill with your dogs- don’t chain them," according to Peta2.com.

"Look at it like being a human person," Kingston explains in the video. "Your family member is outside…and that’s how they should look at it."

Kingston also uses the ad to profess his love for his new furry companion, Sunshine, who often accompanies him to the studio.

Chaining your dogs may cause them to become hostile, according to helpinganimals.com. Animal advocates suggest that treating a dog more compassionately could lead to a friendly animal and may prevent dogs from becoming overly aggressive.

Because of the slumping economy, several shelters are becoming overcrowded with pets that are turned in because their owners can’t afford their upkeep anymore. One 9-year-old boy took note of this and is doing what he can to make sure owners can give their animals quality pet care.

Zach Wilson started the Central Florida Animal Pantry with his mother when he noticed the abundance of abandoned animals in local shelters.

"I said ‘Mom,’ we gotta feed the dogs," Wilson told NBC Nightly News. "She said ‘our dog is fed,’ and I said, ‘no, Mom, all the dogs."

Wilson started a food drive in his school to start the effort, promising a pizza party for the class who brought in the most. The drive led to 1,000 pounds of food that went to people who couldn’t afford to feed their pets.

The news source reports that because the pet food bank is the only one of its kind in the state, it has garnered a huge response. The news source reports that on a given week, the pantry can give away up to 1,800 pounds of food.

When a stray cat began visiting the home of Dodie Harper of Clinton, Tennessee, she began feeding it and trying to befriend the animal.

One day when she was petting the feline, Harper noticed blood on her hand and a bullet hole behind the cat’s left front leg, according to Oakridger.com.

Little Bit, as the cat was later named, had suffered injuries from the bullet that ended up lodged in the left side of her nose, according to the news provider. The cat was in need of serious medical attention and the animal hospital was uneasy about the cat’s chances of survival.

A medical team performed a delicate surgery to remove the bullet from the cat, which was discharged to the care of Harper the following day. The veterinarian called her survival "a truly amazing story."

For general pet care, it may be a good idea to keep an eye on your animals if you live in a wooded area in which hunting is common. All-creatures.org has listed several stories of family pets innocently caught in the line of fire.