The holidays are a wonderful time of year, full of excitement , expectation, and celebration.

But for many it's also a difficult time. This is especially true for anyone not blessed with a close, supportive family, or those physically separated from loved ones.

Consider, among these unlucky souls, the four legged ones who have to spend their holidays--all of their days, in fact--at the local ASPCA or animal shelter. These poor creatures have little to look forward to besides hoping that some nice family will adopt them some day.

Pets need new games, new toys, new smells and experiences, and above all, exercise to be happy. Dogs and cats in shelters can get depressed, lose their appetites, and become more susceptible to illness.

I was pondering this recently, when a light bulb turned on in my head (figuratively, not literally). "Why not get all these lonely and stressed-out souls together?", I thought.

Now, I'm not implying that everyone who's feeling a little despondent or stressed during the holidays should run out and adopt a pet. Bringing home a new dog or cat is a serious commitment and should be done for the right reasons, and with plenty of forethought. But there are other ways to bring the gift of good cheer.

Carolyn Schweitzer

Carolyn Schweitzer, DDS, is a lifetime animal lover, an eBay power seller, and family practitioner, who practiced dentistry for twenty years. Carolyn gave up her practice in 2003 for health reasons, and became a full time internet enthusiast.

Never one to limit herself, Carolyn has branched out in several different directions. Her eBay store, "The Jewelry Mine", is complimented by a similarly named website. In addition to selling jewelry online, Carolyn is working toward her IGA certification offline.

Having a wide variety of pets around the house is something Carolyn grew up with, and she can't imagine a home without a bunch of furry companions. So "Great Dog Gift" was a natural for her next website. Here, she writes about all things dog , provides a directory for dog and dog lover gifts , and maintains a blog and free newsletter " Cold Noses News".

A member of eBay since 1998, Carolyn knows all the ups, downs, ins and outs of buying and selling with eBay auctions, and shares her insights with visitors to her NetBrainer website.

More recently, Carolyn has taken the position of "Beauty Basics" editor at BellaOnline, where she plans to emphasize the importance of a beautiful, healthy, esthetically pleasing smile to her readers along with a myriad of other topics!