00:02It's a growing problem that's running animal shelters ragged.
00:06We're at crisis point. We have no room to help.
00:10Rochelle Wood spends most nights on the streets of Newcastle feeding strays.
00:15We've got about 130 in our colonies that we have desexed.
00:22There's an estimated 700,000 stray cats in urban areas across Australia, with even more in the bush.
00:29Rescue groups say that's hurting native wildlife.
00:33The issue with a cat attack is that because of the toxic saliva on their claws and on their teeth,
00:40it's almost always fatal.
00:42Under current New South Wales laws, cats are free to roam, leading to more mingling and breeding.
00:49We've got six eight-week-old kittens being caught and to tell the finder that,
00:53Sorry, we can't take that kitten. Just let it go where you found it.
00:57It just perpetuates this cycle that we're now stuck in.
01:00Last year, a parliamentary inquiry recommended a range of measures to support desexing.
01:05The state government has responded with an extra $6 million in funding and is currently reviewing the legal framework.
01:12That could result in local councils being given greater freedom to act.
01:16I would like to see the same strict laws that we have for dogs with cats.
01:21Years ago, they used to pick the cats up like they did stray dogs, take them back to the pound.
01:26It will look similar to what it is with dogs, I suspect. I haven't made a final decision yet.
01:32There are all these consequences that flow from changing laws and we've just got to get the balance right.
01:38A decision is expected in the next few months.
01:41A decision is expected in the next few months.
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