• Going Green with Firehall 4
• Tie One On!
• "5 with Flynn"
• Call of the Wild
• Class Notes
• Upcoming Events and CE Schedule

When it comes to buzzwords, there are few more popular than ‘going green.’ This refers to using various methods and materials to try to reduce our impact on the environment, such as counteracting the effects of global warming. At Firehall 4 Animal Hospital in Athens, Georgia, they have made a concise effort to go green.

“Our animal hospital recycles paper and cans, and we also have gone paperless in our record keeping,” says clinic owner Dr. Karen Middendorf. “The clinic has a hot water heater that is solar and solar panels on our roof for electricity.” The clinic has incorporated the old and added a little new. The original bay doors serve as windows and still have the scratch marks from the fire engine mirrors. Middendorf has numerous quilts and pieces of art she created throughout the clinic. Her love for gardening is evident in the wide variety of species strategically placed amongst original hardwood. Middendorf has successfully created such a memorable space and she believes that "it is important to preserve the county's history and add character to our community." Firehall 4 has tried to maintain large trees, replaced any that have been lost to drought with those that require minimal watering, and planted additional trees and plants in their landscape. Their detention pond (pictured below with Dr. Middendorf) also won an environmental award, and it is landscaped with plant specimens that can withstand flooding. Firehall 4 Animal Hospital is proving that going green today makes for a much greener tomorrow!
Firehall 4 is a small animal clinic in Athens, Georgia, owned by Dr. Karen Middendorf; Dr. Hunter Bates '03 and Dr. Jennifer Peterson '09, both UGA CVM graduates, also work at the clinic.

We hosted around 20 students as they were encouraged to sit with alums and former faculty to discuss topics like: What I wish I would have known, favorite CVM memory, favorite class and professor. Alumni and students listened and shared stories over lunch with alumni, retired faculty, and former Dean Anderson. We hope to make this an annual tradition that studnets and alumni will look forward to attending.. did we call this event Alumni Ties? According to legend, there is a story from the early 1950’s that former Dean Tom Jones, a very strict man, required all male students to wear neckties. The students thought it would be a funny prank to put neckties on every single animal in the barn – every cow, horse, pig and one enormous bull! It turns this particular morning the Dean was hosting some distinguished guests and become so irate he stormed out of the barn! Many of the Alumni form the 1950’s and 1960’s remember this tale with much fondness.

Five Questions with Dr. Flynn Nance, Class of 1983

Dr. Gaby Flacke, DVM ’00, answered the call of the wild all the way from Otjiwarongo, Namibia (Africa), at the Cheetah Conservation Fund. Flacke is currently responsible for daily care of 52 captive cheetahs, 150 goats and sheep, and 13 Anatolian Shepherds and Kangal livestock guarding dogs.
CCF uses the goats and sheep as a “model herd” to teach local farmers ideal livestock management practices. Additionally, they share how to keep livestock healthy and safe from natural predators such as the cheetah. A small section of the goat herd also is used for milk to produce cheese.

According to Flacke, “some of the captive cheetahs at CCF are unable to be released back to the wild due to injuries or other circumstances; however, most are young, healthy animals that have been trapped by farmers (rather than shot and killed) and brought to CCF.”
Many of these cheetahs will soon be released back into the wild, and currently six are training to hunt live prey in a 4000-hectare game camp on CCF property. Once a year in April, each animal has a wellness exam which includes blood and urine samples, abdominal ultrasound, dental exams and cleanings, vaccinations for feline distemper and rabies, and genetic sample collections. Flacke says CCF is a fascinating place to work and Namibia is an absolutely beautiful place to live. For more updates, visit the veterinary clinic blog on the CCF website, www.cheetah.org.

~Cvm Alumni T-shirts are here~

The class of 2014 have a limited number of UGA Vet Med Alumni t-shirts for sale for $15. The shirts are black with red letters and are guaranted to bring out your inner DAWG! To order contact Scarlett Timmons at timmons1@uga.edu

.: Class Notes :.
	Dr. Stan Cohen '67 retired from practice in 2011, but recently opened a boarding facility. He now enjoys playing golf, fishing, and a new hobby: watercolor painting. For Dr. Cohen, retirement is a full-time job! Dr. Tim Loonam '00 Grace Animal Hospital recently received THREE "Best of Lexington" awards in Lexington Life Magazine. Congrats!
	Dr. Elizabeth N. Holmes '08 Welcomed Henry Rider Holmes born on December 15, 2011, weighing 7lbs 1.5 oz and 21 inches long.
	Dr. Brandon Pinson '10 Recently purchased the Animal Medical Clinic of Forsyth. Congrats Dr. Pinson!

July 8-14:    VetCAMP

August 2-8:  New Student Orientation

August 11:   Horse Owners Seminar — Open to the public

August 12:   White Coat Ceremony

June 23-24: Advanced Laparoscopic and Thoracoscopic Surgery 

July 7-22:    ACVIM Neuroscience Conference

July 20-21:  Small Animal Gastrointestinal Endoscopy

July 22:       Practical Veterinary Dentistry

July 22-23:  Basic Small Animal Soft Tissue Rigid Endoscopy