A Toronto man organized a rally to protest current city bylaws which handle the removal of the critters in his neighborhood.

Jack Fava called for other residents to meet on Rankin Crescent, near Lansdowne Avenue and Bloor Street West at 1 p.m. on Saturday.

Fava said he has spent 10 years dealing with the raccoons near his house, according to earlier media reports.

He said that he wants the city to help Torontonians deal with the animals. Currently, residents must pay for private companies to remove the animals that dig up their gardens and find their way into garbage bins.

"No one condones property damage but they can be removed in a humane way," said Amanda Hardman, a member of Animal Rights Collective.

The rally was held on the same street where another area resident, Dong Nguyen, was arrested for allegedly attacking several raccoons earlier this week.

"I think that we've all been in the same boat and felt the frustration and anger that he has," said John Dixon, an area resident.

The Ministry of Natural Resources allows Toronto residents to kill or trap raccoons that damage their property if the process is carried out in a humane way.

Residents say they aren't exactly sure how to get rid of them, because gun regulations mean the critters can't be shot either.

"You cannot poison them, you cannot trap them, you cannot take a shovel or a broom to them," said Ken Wood, another neighbour.

The Rankin Crescent residents did not agree on a solution at Saturday's rally and planned for a future meeting.

The city should implement a bylaw to stop feeding the raccoons if they want to get rid of them, according to Nathalie Karbonen, the executive director of the Toronto Wildlife Centre.

With files from CTV Toronto's Tamara Cherry.