This year I met Caroline Golon of Romeo the Cat. Caroline is a pet blogger who uses her blog to raise money for pet shelters. She's been written up in USA Today and she is sponsored by some great pet companies, all for the benefit of shelters and pets in need. What can be better than that?

There are blogs and sites that support people needs, also. Don't get me wrong. As I write this I am listening to CNN cover the Haiti earthquake and it give me goose bumps because I can almost feel the terror, the sadness, and the worry as it emanates from the TV.

I so approve of non-profits using social media to further their cause and to raise money. It seems to me that just $5 contributed by a million people, to one cause, can do more for that cause than spending thousands of dollars on direct mail pieces or pushing out email announcements.

I know we can all contribute to the Haiti crisis by going to the Red Cross. And, that $5-10 will go far to helping those in need in Haiti. If we all stop and consider how we spend money - we could each give $5 a month, to a different non-profit and see big changes in millions of people's lives.

That goes for pets, also. Abused, neglected, mistreated pets need our help, also. Maybe one of the charities or non-profits we contribute to could be an animal shelter. Just once a month. Instead of buying the latte' or going out to lunch today. Instead of buying that box of cookies (which would help our waistline, also!) or instead of driving to the store, we walk and save on gas.

Women are normally on the forefront of this issue - the issue of giving back, of supporting charities and non-profits, or going green. In April, Caroline and Tom and I are gathering a large group of pet bloggers and pet brands together, in BlogPaws, to build community, engagement, and education. If you're a pet blogger, or a pet brand, consider joining us. We love pets. We want to give back - so, we'll be using a generous portion of the fees and registrations to donate to pet shelters.

Just one way of being a good citizen. Taking care of those less fortunate.

Meanwhile, hop over to the Red Cross and give what you can - to help Haitians in dire need, right now.