In 2022, at Christmastime, 9-year-old Milly Kukuczka's beloved dog passed away."She was a border collie mix, and her name was Bella," Milly told KCNC.Bella had been a part of the Kukuczka family since Milly was a baby, and naturally, Milly was upset when her longtime four-legged friend died. "It's been really hard the last year to watch her struggle with that," Ashley Kukuczka, Milly's mom, said.The holiday season has arrived, and Milly is reminded of Bella. But wise beyond her years, the 9-year-old girl has decided to channel her grief for losing Bella into a project that's making this holiday season a little brighter for other canines."I thought it was sad that pets didn't have owners, especially around the holidays," Milly said. To some, the story of Milly deciding to hold a "pet drive" could sound like something out of a Christmas movie. "We asked her for her Christmas list and what she wanted for Christmas and she went in her art room and came out with a flier and wanted to do a pet drive donation," Ashley said of her daughter. To make the girl's Christmas wish come true, Milly's parents reached out to an animal shelter and adoption organization called The Dumb Friends League and harnessed the power of social media to spread the word about the pet drive. It wasn't long before the community jumped in to help out. "We've partnered with our gym and with her school we've set boxes up there. I'm collecting some at my work my husband's collecting some at his work," Ashley said. Through the pet drive, they're collecting items like toys, treats, food, dog beds, and a variety of dog supplies. "There's like 50 toys in there already. Boxes of treats and five or six dog beds," Ashley said.The mother is proud of her daughter for wanting to act as a Santa Claus for local pets.The idea behind the pet drive, according to Ashley, is simple: "Just make sure that every pet feels love even if they don't have a home on Christmas."In addition to remembering her beloved Bella, Milly has learned a valuable lesson through the pet drive."Even though you're little you can still make a big difference," she said. Hear more of Milly's story in the video player above.