Power to the pooches

Meet Waldo!

My new little addition has obviously put the wellbeing of dogs on my mind--and unfortunately many aren't as lucky as my little man here (waaay too many toys and treats, too much attention).

People aren't the only victims of a crappy economy: When people need to make cuts, pets can often an obvious choice. As the rate of foreclosures climbs, so does the number of dogs and other furry friends being abandoned by their owners.

This obviously overwhelms already busy animal shelters and humane societies, where supplying animals with adequate food is always a challenge.



Good thing Mimi, a young Oregon girl who started volunteering at her local humane society at age 9, is doing something about it. Thinking about the ever-popular FreeRice.com, Mimi launched FreeKibble.com, a site that, with the help of a corporate dog food sponsor, donates 20 pieces of kibble a day to dogs in need. And of course, there's some canine trivia involved.