Through the WWF you can adopt an elephant quickly and easily online as a gift. Click here to find out more and adopt an elephant

Tigers are shy and elusive, and maintain a relatively fixed home range. There are just 123 tigers left in Nepal, and so it is vital that as much as possible is done to protect these beautiful creatures. Adopt a Tiger here

A lot of children will have dreamed of owning a pony or horse, in fact most people at some stage have wished that they owned a pony - but this gift will bring them one step closer to this dream, allowing you to adopt a pony or sponsor a pony. Adopt or Sponsor a Pony here

Pandas are the rarest bears and their forest habitat is fast disappearing. You can make a difference by sponsoring or adopting a panda. Click here to find out where to sponsor a panda

A gift that is proving extremely popular with animal lovers for Christmas is the chance to adopt a reindeer.Click here to find out how to adopt or sponsor a reindeer

Thousands of whales and dolphins are slaughtered every year for human consumption and for use in fertiliser, and animal food. Sponsor or adopt a dolphin and do something about it. Click here to find out how to adopt or sponsor a dolphin

You can make a huge difference as well as give a great gift by adopting a monkey through WWF.

If you are looking for a meaningful, alternative gift this Christmas to give to friends and family, then you might consider sponsoring a guide dog puppy on someone else's behalf. You can sponsor a puppy direct here through guide dogs for the blind.

Christians are being urged to mobilize against animal cruelty this week as churches around the country celebrate Animal Welfare Sunday.