Last year, Riverview Middle School student Shannon Porter started a charity to help the Dawson County Humane Society provide for animals during the holiday season.

This year, Christmas for Critters is back again and hoping to be bigger than ever.

"We had a huge success last year," Porter said. "We've already emptied out the boxes once, and we haven't had them out for very long."

Porter originally came up with the idea while driving around with her mother last year and noticed the amount of charities for homeless people, but none for homeless animals.

"I thought to myself, ‘I'm going to make one. I'm going to start a charity to help, in any way that I can, the humane society,'" Porter said.

Last year, along with more than $200 cash, the charity also collected more than 300 pounds combined of dog and cat food, 25 boxes/bags of dog and cat treats, a couple dozen leashes/collars, kitten milk, several dog and cat toys, more than 60 pounds of cat litter, scratching posts and dog bandanas.

Boxes can be found in front of businesses in Dawson County, from the Ga. 400 corridor to downtown.

"It's never too late to save a life. You can always do anything, whether it's anything from giving a couple of dollars to buying a bag of dog food," Porter said. "Anything helps."

For more information and drop box locations, visit the charity's website www.christmasforcritters.com or visit their Facebook page, Christmas for Critters Official.