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WINNIPEG – A Winnipeg woman says she was told to let feral cats in her neighbourhood starve during a conversation with Winnipeg animal control officers.

Carrie Muth lives in East Elmwood with her young family and has one cat and one dog inside her house, but last year noticed 4 stray cats living in her neighbour’s dilapidated garage. She felt bad for them so about twice a week will put out food.

“They just hop down and eat and go back up,” said Muth, pointing at her neighbours garage, “I don’t know why the city thinks they’re my cats.”

But Wednesday, animal control officers showed up at her house and told her, she exceeded the limit of six pets and was told to stop feeding the cats.

“If I cut off food and shelter they said they would starve and freeze or move and I’m not about to watch four helpless animals starve,” said Muth.

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Under the Responsible Pet Ownership Bylaw, residents are not allowed to have more than six cats or dogs on their property.

But Muth says even if the city considers the stray cats hers, she’s still within the limit.

“Should this be a priority for animal services? Perhaps not,” Mayor Brian Bowman said Friday morning during an interview on Global’s Morning News.

Darcy Johnston with D’arcy’s ARC , animal rescue shelter, says he’s heard from other residents who have had run-ins with animal control officers over taking care of stray cats.

“Good Samaritans are being punished for helping deal with these feral cats,” said Johnston, “an issue that is out of control.”

Johnston estimates there are over 50,000 stray cats roaming city streets.

“They’re being a bit of a bully, they ticket you, they fine you but they don’t give you any alternatives other than let them starve to death,” said Johnston.

Muth wants to help find the cats a permanent home and in Spring wants to trap them and pay out of her own pocket to spay or neuter them.

Lynne Scott from Craig Street Cats says she’s received over 60 phone calls from people wanting to help after Global’s story broke yesterday.

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Scott says she also heard from one resident in St. Boniface that was actually given a summons for $250 and another woman in Elmwood was threatened Thursday by Animal Control Officers saying she would get a $700 ticket if she didn’t stop feeding feral and stray cats. The woman told Global News that she asked “so I’m supposed to let them starve?” She said the officer’s response was, “I guess.”

Leland Gordon with Animal Control says officers would never tell someone to starve cats, and said feeding feral cats is not illegal.

Scott has started a petition to ask the city to change its bylaw to allow residents to house feral cats on their property, in order to trap, neuter/spay and release.

Scott says they’ll fight any tickets issued in court.