Claws out: Rescue shelter caught in stray cat stand-off
An animal rescue organisation owner has called on a local council to address an “out of control” stray cat problem after receiving complaints about its late-night rescue operations.
A not-for-profit animal rescue organisation has found itself in a stray cat showdown with Port Adelaide Enfield (PAE) Council after receiving littering and nuisance complaints for feeding stray cats late at night.
Precious Paws Rescue founder Lisa Hayward said she started the business with the goal to rescue, rehabilitate and re-home abandoned and stray cats by providing safe shelter, medical care and desexing to reduce feral populations.
“I’m out for two and a half to three hours every single night feeding these cats, and these aren’t in my area,” Hayward said.
“I’ve been doing this for nearly four years now and I have rescued and cleared in excess of 150 to 200 cats from these locations.”
But Hayward told InDaily she recently received a letter from the PAE Council to investigate complaints made about the cat feeding, with the complaints alleging the group had breached the Local Nuisance and Litter Control Act 2016.
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“The complainants have alleged that ongoing feeding has occurred at numerous locations within the City of Port Adelaide Enfield area throughout the months of January and February 2026,” the council letter said.
“It is alleged that this feeding has resulted in littering offences and nuisance complaints regarding the cats loitering because of this activity.”
According to the Act, a person who carries on an activity that results in local nuisance can receive an expiation fee of $500 and a maximum penalty of $10,000, while general littering offences can result in a $210 fine.
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Hayward said the littering offences were in relation to paper plates used to feed the cats and insisted she was “one of the very few people” trying to find a solution to the stray cat problem.
“To get this letter from the council is just really ignorant. Is it really about the paper plates, or is it about the cats themselves, that’s what I’m starting to question,” she said.
“If you’re looking at fining me for this, then know that I’m not just going to lay down and take that because you have a responsibility to help these cats.”
She said the number of cats in the area was getting “out of control” and has called on the PAE Council to provide funding to assist with rehoming initiatives.
“They’re suffering, and the answer that the council seem to give us is just don’t feed them and they’ll disappear,” she said.
“There needs to be a solution; you can’t just pretend that it’s not happening.”
A PAE Council spokesperson said the council “understands the importance that rescue organisations provide in assisting with animal management”.
“Council Community Safety Officers also operate under the Local Nuisance and Litter Control Act, and have an obligation to respond and investigate following community complaints about late-night feeding of cats, which may cause a nuisance or where litter occurs,” the council spokesperson said.
“We have offered Precious Paws Rescue the opportunity to talk to us regarding this and their potential solutions to this matter. We extend a further invitation to them to reach out to us and discuss this matter in a positive way.”
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