We're ringing in 2012 with 12 ways you can make a difference for homeless pets. Whether you resolve to do one throughout the year, or try a different one each month, you'll be sure to spread a little joy to homeless pets with these New Year's resolutions:

1. Get yourself new sheets and towels -- then donate the old ones to a shelter or rescue group. You'll be recycling, helping homeless pets stay warm and comfy and getting new linens. Want to beat that? Ask your friends and neighbors to do the same!

2. Print out and post adoptable pet profiles at your office, dog park or grocery store. Does your local dog run, your office or your grocery store have a place for fliers? Ask if you can post a new adoptable pet's profile there each week. Simply click the print icon on a pet's Petfinder profile to get a printable page with all the pet's info!

3. Give a list of local shelters to your vet's office. Vets are often the first place pet parents go for recommendations on anything pet-related -- including where to find a specific kind of pet. Give your vet's office a list of local shelters and rescue groups and help get the word out to people who may not otherwise adopt. View shelters and rescue groups by state to get started!

Maria is a senior citizen in Florida. The government maintains that she lives alone. Maria begs to differ. She says she lives with her best friend, who just happens to be a Chihuahua.

One of Maria's many challenges is getting outside. Her dog is litterbox trained. However, buying pet food isn't easy for Maria -- she has to depend on others to do the shopping. Moreover, she has trouble paying for the food.

"There's no question that this dog has in so many ways changed Maria's life, so being able to provide proper pet food for Maria has made an enormous difference," says Enid Borden, president and CEO of the Meals on Wheels Association of America.

Learn more about the program, how you can help and how to get help if you can't afford your pet's food after the jump.

Last week we asked our Facebook community to vote on the topic of our next live Q&A -- and you wanted to learn more about helping pets during the holidays. So on Tuesday, Dec. 13 from 3-4 p.m. ET, Petfinder shelter outreach director Sara Kent will be answering your questions live.

But if you want to start helping pets NOW, don't wait. Find an adoption group near you that's participating in our Foster a Lonely Pet for the Holidays program and sign up to get an adoptable pet out of a shelter. (Not sure you're ready? Check out our gallery of pets in need of foster homes and you may change your mind!)

But don't forget to log in to Facebook (and make sure you've "liked" Petfinder's Facebook page) and join us on Tuesday, Dec. 13 from 3-4 p.m. ET so we can answer your questions.

PS: Here are 13 more easy ways to help homeless pets!

There are many ways you can help homeless pets this holiday season -- some of which require only your time. Read on for easy ways you can help shelters and rescue groups through the Petfinder.com Foundation, which exists solely to support the 13,500+ organizations that post their adoptable pets on Petfinder.

• Give a Gift of Hope. When you make a donation to the Petfinder.com Foundation in the name of a loved one, he or she will receive a holiday card with an acknowledgment of your gift. And if you give a gift of $30 or more, your loved one will be acknowledged as a Supporting Member of the Petfinder.com Foundation for 2012! 


• Fill out surveys. Sign up to take surveys at SurveyMonkey.com and the Petfinder.com Foundation will receive $0.50 for every survey you complete.
  


• Buy a t-shirt. Purchase a We Add Up "Rescue" shirt for yourself -- and one for your dog! Every "Rescue" shirt purchased will trigger a $3 donation to the Petfinder.com Foundation. Every We Add Up shirt is hand-printed with a unique number -- your position in the global count of people adding up to make a better world. We Add Up is already up to 22,000 people!