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	Vol.7, No 56, December 7, 1999
	Faces on campus Fifteen years ago, the issue concerning cats on campus was a focus in the Daily Forty-Niner headlines. The issue is still widely debated today and is spotlighted in Faces on Campus a special feature section in the Daily Forty-Niner. Cats have always been a part of Cal State Long Beach. Since the campus opened in 1949, stray animals, especially cats have become an on-going source of dispute among campus managment and faculty and students. When  the problem escalated in 1984, Bill Peters, then director of Plant Operations, implemented a program of campuswide extermination of the feline free-loaders. Citing health reasons, 50-60 out of an estimated 300 stray animals were caught and put to sleep before campus groups  could spring into action to save the animals. Leading the charge was library thesis reviewer Kathy Billing, who had personally fed and cared for six strays living around the University Library. Calling for campus and community support, Billing was able to briefly block further euthanasia until a better solution could be found. Using protests and open demonstrations such as fake funerals and mass graves, Billing kept the issue in the campus conscience. Working with the  local Pet Protection Assistance group, Billing was able to call an Associated Students Senate vote to not only block the killings but develope a policy to protect the strays. Although officially outside the A.S. jurisdiction, enough attention was raised that finally  Billings and Plant Operations were forced to the negotiation table by campus  administration   to  finally settle the dispute once and for all. The final resolution was that the 20-25 cats currently being fed by staff would be caught, neutered and vaccinated and then allowed to be returned to campus under a department adoption program. The cats  were tagged with serial numbers and the name of the adoptive department. Any animal found without a tag was considered a stray and was to be removed to a facility off campus for possible private adoption. Fifteen years later people can still see stray cats on the campus, simply runaways  or  dropped here by people unable or unwilling to care for them, hoping someone here will. Some cats have been here longer than most students and the people who now feed and care for them. Here, at least, they have found a place to finally call home.		Ceremony sparks holiday spirit   Residents fill L.B. church for Christmas concert   Film shows effects of alienation   Christmasfest celebrates Filipino culture   Winners of Swiss Web contest to be announced   Women's center holds vigil to mourn tragic incident Internet saves lives   Give me education not ego gratification   Number Tax   Benefits for all inaccurate   Police responsible for riots Faces on campus   Belmont Shore parade packs Second Street USC freezes Long Beach State hockey   49ers block two out of NCAA's   Men's basketball appears uninspired in tourney losses Fall 99 ISSUES DAILY 49ER HOMEPAGE
Forty-Niner Publications, Department of Journalism, California State University, Long Beach ©1999 All rights reserved.