The HAWA Mission Statement: Haywood Animal Welfare Association strives to reduce pet overpopulation by providing low-cost/no-cost spay and neuter services for cats and dogs of Haywood County and through committees .  In doing so we hope to promote a community in which animals are valued, properly cared for and have a safe place to live.

HAWA helps the county tackle the challenge of too many litters of puppies and kittens brought to the county shelter year round, through such endeavors as:

Education Programs ~ HAWA purchases subscriptions to the KIND News, published by the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) and distributes them to all Haywood County elementary schools. Volunteers also visit classrooms with shelter pets teaching proper care and compassion. HAWA also invites the public to its annual meeting in April. The program presents a speaker discussing new trends in animal welfare and includes the installation of officers.

HAWA History ~ We date back to 1956 when a small group of local residents founded the Haywood County Humane Association “to prevent cruelty to animals and to promote humane educational programs on a county-wide basis.” We reorganized in 1973 and again in 1986, forming the Haywood Animal Welfare Association as a non-profit, tax-exempt community service organization. We’ve made great strides since the days of non-existent county animal control laws and a back-alley county animal shelter. For instance, we were the driving force in the construction of the modern Haywood County Animal Shelter in 1990. Now, as then, we give top priority to the county’s serious over-population problem, over 2000 pets euthanize at the county shelter each year.

HAWA will be glad to provide a speaker for your civic or association group.  For further information, call 828-452-1329.