Many people now prefer to sponsor an animal in addition to – or rather than – having their own pet. Sponsoring an animal has many benefits – both to the person who is taking out the sponsorship or adoption not to mention the organisation and the animal being sponsored.

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.

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.