The Animal Welfare Association (AWA), based in Warrenton, is changing its mission.Since the group established itself in 1989, volunteers took in stray animals, gave them medical care and found good homes for them.It was worthwhile work, but the group recognized the foster-adoption cycle is endless, said the group’s leader, Pat Harper.“What we do is just a Band-Aid (for a community-wide problem),” she said.Now the group is focused on providing a lower-cost spay and neuter program.The organization works with veterinary clinics in Warrenton and Wright City to charge pet owners a lower rate for the surgery. The cost of the procedure through the organization for dogs starts at $75. It goes up based on the dog’s size, age and gender. Cats are $25 without a feline leukemia test and $50 with a feline leukemia test.Clinics usually charge more, but the veterinarians are giving the AWA a discount and the group is paying the difference between the customer cost and the actual cost to make spaying and neutering more affordable.“If you can afford it, take your animal to the vet. If you can’t afford it, call us,” she said.Harper said donations are needed to help support AWA’s efforts.Warren County needs help because of a stray and pet overpopulation problem.“A dedicated spay-neuter program is needed,” she said, adding that it takes a community to make a difference.Harper said when pets are homeless, they suffer and properties can suffer. She said there are cat colonies in Warren County. As populations grow, the animals can become a nuisance to people as they search for food, fight, etc.Harper said she has heard about people abusing or torturing cats and kittens in the colonies as problems rise.She added that the problem could be eliminated more humanely.“We can help, but someone from the community needs to step up and take responsibility,” Harper said.Cat colonies can be controlled with human intervention.Feral kittens can make pleasant house cats, if they are caught early. It’s unlikely that older feral cats can be rehabilitated for adoption. For them, animal groups recommend catch and release, which involves trapping wild cats, getting them to a veterinarian and returning them to their colony.That’s what Harper recommends.“Get them fixed and clip the tip of their ear. It’s an easy indicator that they’ve been fixed,” Harper said.While the spay and neuter program will be AWA’s main focus, other services will continue but on a smaller scale.Harper said AWA will still help with pet food donations. The foster care program it was once known for will be limited to animals they have previously fostered and animals they view are in crisis.For more information about the pet spay-neuter program or to donate, call 636-297-0486 or email startingover@centurytel.net.Dog Park