“Residents think that the cats will get euthanized,” if they call the city’s animal services, Bernardo said.

Jay Smith, manager of Mississauga Animal Services, said the city has a higher-than 90 per cent save-rate— referring to animals that leave the shelter by means other than death.

A 90 per cent save rate or live release rate, is the historical requirement for a no-kill shelter classification according to the Association of Shelter Veterinarians.

Smith said that with any city-related pound, “there’s a history there.”

“I know that there have been select rescue organizations that despite us telling them and sharing our improvement and our successes, what they continue to share among their staff and people within their network is not accurate to what we've been telling them,” he said.

In 2017, the city changed its animal care and control bylaws aiming to recognize animal rescue organizations and volunteers, and to help them operate legally. Changes to bylaws included licence requirement exemptions for foster pets, allowances to have more than four animals as well as permitting “at-large” or outdoor cats as part of a city-approved trap, neuter and return program.

Animal services doesn't directly finance groups and community members who do trap, neuter and release programs. But further changes to the relationship between the city and animal rescue volunteers could be coming soon, according to Smith.

He said that adding financial support for rescue groups and volunteers is on the table in ongoing operational reviews, but funding for a trap neuter and release program can’t “happen overnight.”

At the July 3 city council meeting, a committee was formed with councillors, city staff, Hayes and other feral cat proponents to make a standard of animal care work plan.

Ward 5 Coun. Carolyn Parrish is on the committee and said in an email that she’s been “terribly sad” to see wild cats unable to care for themselves in the city and has used her discretionary funds in the past to purchase traps for volunteers to catch neuter and release felines.

“I'm hoping the committee raises awareness, provides budgetary assistance to the volunteer groups, speeds up bylaw changes and makes Mississauga a better place for its animals,” she wrote.

Hayes said she was encouraged by council’s “humane” response to the feral cat issue.

But she also said that if the work of the committee gets obstructed the feral cat volunteers “will make noise.”

In Peel Region, Action for Animals is a registered charity that provides resources and assistance for feral cats.

Disclaimer: These poll results are not scientific. They are the informal findings of a survey presented to the readers of The Mississauga News and reflect the opinions of those readers who have chosen to participate. The survey is available online to anyone who is interested in taking it.