News from the Executive Director:

The SEAALAS 2004 and 2005 Executive Committees met in Athens , GA , prior to the joint meeting for SEAALAS and District IV.
The 2005 Board will be focusing its effort on revising the By-Laws this coming year. It has been several years since the By-Laws have
been reviewed and several changes have been implemented in the SOP’s of the branch. SEAALAS is financially sound and the recent
success of the SEAALAS/District IV meeting should help us remain that way. There is more about the meeting in the Program article.

I would like to thank all of the 2004 Board members for their work and welcome the new 2005 members to the committee.

It is not too early to start thinking about nominating a technician for one of the SEAALAS awards this year.

The committee chairs should be announced soon so you can send in your nominations. We need people to volunteer to run for positions
on the ballot, so start thinking of how you would like to participate and don’t be shy when you are called on!! We need technicians to
be active in running this branch.

Please Volunteer for a Committee Chair

Contact Kevin Cormier kcormier@pharmacal.com

The SEAALAS/District IV Meeting was a huge success!  Thank you to all of you who assisted in planning this meeting. 
The Tech Tip presenters were, as usual, outstanding.  We were able to present 2 awards this year since we had no takers
from District IV to present; we elected to give a first time speaker award and an old pro award! 

Congratulations Terri McCurley and Jennifer Smith! 

There were 197 registrants at the meeting which is a record for SEAALAS.  The talks were outstanding and the vendor area
was a huge success. 
 
I would like to invite everyone to support the next meeting in Charleston on January 26 and 27, 2006.  There is an information
page and registration form in this newsletter.  More about the program will be forthcoming in future newsletters and mailings. 
I know Mike, Dexter and Allison will put on a terrific meeting.  The aquarium tour will be a treat in itself.  Remember that there is a
cash prize to the best Tech Tip speaker, so plan to attend and present a talk.

Past –President Samm Bartee accepts a plague for her service as SEAALAS’s
President from current President Kevin Cormier.

Technician Tips

The 2005 District 4/Seaalas meeting in Athens was another great year for Technician Tips.  Over the past 3 years in
my involvement with SEAALAS meetings, I have personally been amazed at the various topics of the Technician Tips
and this year was no exception. There were ten great speakers giving ten very interesting and various Technician Tips.
Some of the Topics this year were:  “Nestlet Notes”, “Is your Bovine Happy?” ,“Ringtail in a Satellite Animal Facility”,
“Helicobacter- The process of Elimination”, and “Husbandry care for wild caught white throated sparrows”.

The original plan for the Technician Tips was to have SEAALAS speakers in the 1 st session and District 4 speakers in the
2nd session with an award for a speaker in each group. We were unsuccessful at getting District 4 speakers so we decided
to give out an award to a novice SEAALAS speaker and to a veteran SEAALAS speaker. 

This was a great idea and I think it made it more competitive for everyone. Hopefully attendees from the other
branches of District 4 will incorporate the Technician Tips in future meetings after seeing what a success it
has been for SEAALAS.   

The Technician Tips speakers were:

Victor Tyson – University of Georgia

Minida Dowdy – Emory University

Tulasi Ghimirey – Emory University

Lopedia Housworth – Yerkes Regional Primate Center

Rashidat Ayantunji – Emory University

Terri McCurley – University of Georgia

Ginger Peters – University of South Carolina

Amy Phillips – University of Georgia

Linda Hazel – Medical University of South Carolina

Jennifer Smith – University of Georgia 

I along with SEAALAS would like to thank each of the speakers for giving up their time to give a Technician Tip. 
It takes a lot of work to come up with a topic and to create a presentation. On top of this everyone has to get up in front
of a group of co-workers and strangers to actually give the talk. It is wonderful that each year we have a group of
volunteers to do this and their involvement makes the Technician Tip session great.

We would also like to thank Dean Blake, Lama Huff and Jennetta Smith who gave up their time to be judges this year. 

Maybe next year you too can give a talk, so contact MUSC to get your name on the list!!!

Some of the Tech Tip presenters check out their loot.

Registration:

Meeting Fee:

Full meeting $100 (All day Thursday, Continental Breakfast, Lunch, Cocktail Party, Awards Banquet and Friday Morning Session and Continental Breakfast)
Awards Banquet only or extra guests $50

Program Committee: M. Michael Swindle, DVM, Alison Smith, DVM, Dexter Wilson, BS, LATg;
Local Arrangements Contact: swindlem@musc.edu , 843 876 5212

Preliminary Program :

Thursday
8:00    Registration Opens
9:00    Tech Talks
11:00  Board of Directors Meeting Lunch
Scientific Session--Technical Procedures
1:00    New Directions of the Animal Rights Movement—NABR
2:00    Cesarian Rederivation Techniques in Rodents—Laber 2:30    Embryo Transfer Techniques—Spyropoulos
3:00    Break
3:30    ABSL 2 & 3 Safety Procedures in Animal Facilities—Steed
4:00    Xenopus Husbandry and Care—Ramsdale
4:30    Tissue and Organ Preservation—Brockbank
5:00    Exhibits
6:00    Cocktail Party in Exhibit Area
7:30    Awards Banquet

Friday
8:00    Registration Opens
Scientific Session—Animal Models
8:30    Renal Models—Fitzgibbon
9:00    Orthopedic Models—An
9:30    Stem Cell Research— Livingston
10:00   Break
10:30   GI Models—Hawes
11:00   Interventional Radiology Models—Uflacker
11:30   Stroke Models—Kindy
12:00   Adjourn
1:00     Optional Behind the Scenes Tour of the Charleston Aquarium
www.scaquarium.org

2006 Annual SEAALAS Meeting
and Awards Banquet

Thursday, January 26 and Friday, January 27, 2006
Francis Marion Hotel
Historic District
Charleston , SC
(843)722-0600

Rooms: $109/night. SE/AALAS Block held until December 15, 2005
www.francismarioncharleston.com

Registration Form
Please fill out a separate form for each attendee (including banquet guests)

Full Name _________________________________ Name on Badge __________________________

Position Title ______________________________ Affiliation _______________________________

Address________________________________________________________________________________

Phone ____________________________________ Fax ____________________________________

E-Mail ___________________________________

                               Please circle your choices:             
                               Full Registration                                         $100 
                                                 (All day Thursday, Continental Breakfast, Lunch,
                               Cocktail Party, Awards Banquet, Friday Morning
                               Session and Continental Breakfast)

                                                  Awards Banquet only or extra guests             $50 

                                                  Behind the Scenes Charleston Aquarium:       $20 
                                                  (Friday afternoon, information available at registration desk)

                                                  Commercial Members: If you would like a table in the vendor area, please check here ________ 

Make Checks payable to: SEAALAS

Mail form and payment to: SEAALAS
P.O. Box 80336
Athens , GA 30608

Crossword

All the words used in this puzzle can be found in the glossary of the ALAT training manual.

Across

1. A male Rabbit
2. Protrusion of a part of an internal organ through a body opening.
5. Descended from unrelated parents
6. Deoxyribonucleic Acid
8. All primates that are not anthropoids; such as lemurs or tarsiers
9. Blind, hairless, and helpless babies
11. The most common form of sugar in which most animal assimilate carbohydrates
13. A female ferret
14. The scientific study of animal behavior
16. A baby of rabbits and other animals
18. Toward the front of the body
19. A substance that causes changes in the chromosomes and thereby induce the occurrence of mutations

22. Insufficient Oxygen
23. Mouse genus
24. A bone in the forelimb
25. An inanimate object that is capable of transmitting infectious organisms from one individual to another

Down

1. A biological agent or condition that constitues a threat to humans or animals
3. Female sex cells or eggs
4. anatomical term meaning further from a specific point on the body
6. Toward the back.
7. Parturition in rabbits
9. Hair loss
10. A male ferret
11. Young, female pig
12. Its body temperature adjusts to the surrounding temperature
15. Toward the rear or tail of the body.
17. Toward the head.
20. Animal color pattern in which the hairs are dark brown with yellow bands near the tip
21. Female of some animals such as rabbits
22. High Efficiency Particulate Air filter

Attention Members: Time to Nominate!!!!

2005 SEAALAS
AWARDS

The Southeastern Branch of the American Association for Laboratory Animal Science is currently
soliciting nominees for the prestigious 2005 SEAALAS Awards.

Show your appreciation and nominate now!

 Every year, the SEAALAS Awards process is a method that the organization uses to publicly recognize those individuals who
deserve credit and appreciation for their hard work and accomplishments. In a better effort to encourage participation in the SEAALAS
Awards process, starting in 2001, the SEAALAS Executive Committee re-structured the awards by significantly increasing the benefit to
each recipient. This increase was designed to better distinguish those individuals who are passionately committed to the work they do, and to
their organization to which they serve. This monetary increase was designed to provide both incentive and participation, by both
Employer (Managers and Directors) and Employees.

What could be a better way to say:

“Thank you, job well done”

Currently there are 4 Award categories; each designed to recognize a specific talent or achievement. While all but the Purina Prolab are
sponsored by SEAALAS, the Awards Committee will be selecting recipients for each. The following table outlines the benefit for each award.

Nominations for awards should be submitted by October 15, 2005 to:

Linda Hazel
hazellg@musc.edu

Award Nomination Information:

TECHNICIAN OF THE YEAR – This award will consist of a plaque and a minimum of a $500 honorarium to be presented to one SE/AALAS technician each year for outstanding accomplishments in the field of animal care, research and/or technical education.

SALLY NEWEL PAPP MEMBER PARTICIPATION AWARD - This award will consist of a plaque and a minimum of a $300 honorarium to be presented yearly to the SE/AALAS technician deemed most active in the local, regional, and national organization.

PURINA PROLAB AWARD - This award will consist of a plaque and a $300 honorarium to be presented each year to a person whose primary responsibility is the husbandry (feeding, handling) of laboratory animals. Purina will donate an additional $50 to the AALAS Foundation in the award recipient's name. Criteria for nomination are as follows:

1) Daily contact with animals of one or more species in the form of handling, feeding, watering, changing bedding, etc.

2) Demonstrates a positive attitude toward the welfare of animals.

3) Demonstrates performance in completing animal care related duties as well as or better than the expected level of performance for the facility.

4) Demonstrates pursuit of knowledge in the field of animal care (i.e. any course work or formal training).

5) Innovative approaches to animal husbandry related problems should be cited.

6) All considerations being equal, candidates having current membership with the local AALAS Branch or National AALAS will be given priority.

NOTE, Supervisory responsibility and formal degrees are not important considerations for this award.

 Nominations for the 2005 SEAALAS Awards should be sent to:
Linda Hazel at hazellg@musc.edu

Nomination packets should include a nomination letter and any additional supporting letters.

Being the SEAALAS 2004 Technician of the Year, Janetta Smith has been nominated for the
2005 AALAS Technician of the Year Award on behalf of the SEAALAS Branch. We wish Janetta

GOOD LUCK and hope to see her in St. Louis !!!

Jan Barto, Sally Papp Member Particiaption winner, and Janetta Smith, Technician of the Year winner, accept their awards from Linda Hazel, Awards Chair.

Below, Jessica Bunch accepts the Purina ProLab Award from David Blocker.

Everyone waits with bated breath to see who wins the vendor sponsored raffle prizes.

News from UGA Animal Resources-LS

It has been a very exciting year here- lots of news….

Congratulations to Liz Stich who had a baby girl, Sarah, in December. Liz has been back at work part time for about 2 months and is adjusting to
being a mom!

Congratulations to all of our technicians who have passed certifications last year: Lisa Wilson- RLAT: Kristine Wilcox-RALAT;
Amy Phillips- RALAT. We have another batch of techs studying to take the exam, so I will report on them next time!

Congratulations to Terri McCurley for winning the Tech Tip Award at the SEAALAS/D4 Meeting. I know she was scared to death to present a talk, but she did an excellent job- obviously!! Jennifer Smith won the old pro award. Congrats!!

We sadly said good-by to one of our long time technicians Victor Tyson, who graduated and moved back to Savannah . We will miss him. We started giving Tech of the Month Awards several months ago, and I would like to congratulate all that have received them so far, and I promise to keep track so I can put your names here next time!! Andrew Webb received the award for April.

We have been interviewing candidates for the replacement of our 2 Directors and hopefully we will have someone new to introduce next issue. Our facilities have been operating at full speed, which is good, job security!!!

Everyone is waiting to hear who is moving into the new Coverdale Building which has 20,000 square feet of rodent housing space.

Several of us enjoyed a trip to 6-Flags in April for UGA night- it was fantastic. I thank Hongyuan for being the first Tech from Vet Med to participate in an outing with us!!!

Submitted by Robin Kavanaugh

Robin and Jennifer work to make the 2005 District IV a success!

 Welcome to all from the Medical University of South Carolina!

We have new additions to add to our campus. The Childrens Research Institute (CRI) has opened as a state of the art rodent barrier facility. This facility is furnished with ventilated racks as well as auto watering. We also have a second 20,000 sq ft facility coming on line in September in the Hollings Cancer Center which will be very much like a sister to CRI. We are still currently renovating our other facilities and creating ABSL 3 facility. In January 2006, when all of the construction of the different facilities is complete we will have over 100,000 sq ft of animal facilities.

Josh Sanchez and Terrance Hamilton are the new faces to add to the staff of CRI. Good luck to Jerome Frasier for accepting the supervisor role within that facility. Welcome aboard guys! Arlene McCluskey has taken on the job of supervising the Quarantine facility. Best of luck. DLAR welcomes back Bobby Crowe who left us for a short while to recover from back surgery.

Congratulations to Jessie Smith for passing the ALAT certification. Also, Ray Deas for passing the ALAT and LAT exam. Good luck to those who are lined up to take the exam series.

Deidre Wright received January Technician of the month, and Donna Owens received February Technician of the month. Congratulations

Our annual Tech Appreciation picnic in April will give us all a chance to relax and enjoy the Springtime weather and each others company. We wish you all a safe and happy spring and summer!

Submitted by Deidre Wright

Animal Rights Activities

New Laws Target Animal rights Activists

Report by AMANDA BREEN

NEW legislation to protect scientific researchers at work and at home against animal rights militants came into force on Friday.

Police can now order protesters who harass employees of animal research companies, like Huntingdon Life Sciences, to leave the property and
not return within three months. Tougher powers also exist to protect individuals from behaviour which is likely to cause them "alarm or distress".

The new offences of "harassment intended to deter lawful activities" and "harassment of a person in his home" have been created under the Serious
Organised Crime and Police Act 2005.

The law comes into affect little more than a week after reports of investors abandoning shares in Godmanchester-based firm Phytopharm, over fears
of attacks by animal-rights militants.

Brokers for the company, Canaccord Capital, have quit after a director was the target of an incendiary device in May. The attack was acknowledged
by activists on a website linked to the Animal Liberation Front (ALF).

Phytopharm does not operate its own laboratories, but outsources all animal experimental work. It has been targeted by campaigners who want it to s
ever links with HLS - the Godmanchester headquarters were twice broken into last year and the company was forced to seek injunctions against activists.

An anonymous message on animal rights website Bite Back reads: "Let this be a warning to you Phytopharm you have chosen to collude with HLS and
you will be targeted relentlessly until you cease dealing with them. Don't say we haven't warned you. The best is yet to come."

Huntingdon MP Jonathan Djanogly has warned that such terrorism poses a threat to scientific development in the UK . He said: "This is another example
of the type of economic terrorism we have seen with HLS.

"I have written to the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry and am involving the Home Office and Attorney-General because, unless the Government
gets on top of this type of activity, there will be no research in this country. It will just go abroad," added Mr Djanogly, who was instrumental in persuading
the Government to create a new offence of economic terrorism earlier this year.

"This is a perfect example of where the new legislation should be used. It became criminalised last Friday. I shall be pressing the Government to use the
new law to its full extent."

HLS employees have frequently been targeted by extremists at home. In March, activist Sarah Gisborne was handed a six-and-a-half year jail sentence
for her involvement in a two-night wrecking spree across three counties, when a St Ives family was among the victims.

http://www.huntspost.co.uk/content/huntspost/news/story.aspx?brand=HPTOnline&category=News&tBrand=HPTOnline&tCategory=newne
ws&itemid=CMED07%20Jul%202005%2018%3A02%3A08%3A477

People suspect missing pet taken by P.E.T.A.
Family says dog is on P.E.T.A. Website
Jun 24, 2005
Laila Muhammad
WNCT-TV 9

More questions tonight surrounding a well-known animal rights group.

PETA-- People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals.

It's the second time in a week the group has come into the spotlight.

Last week, police arrested two PETA employees suspected of euthanizing more than 30 animals and disposing of many of them in a
dumpster in Ahoskie.

Now, Gates County Sheriff Edward Webb says he's had calls about PETA workers picking up pets from people’s property.

One local family says they called PETA to pick up a couple of stray animals.  But when they came home, their own pet was missing.

"His eyes, it breaks my heart, looking into them."

Kristi Groves remembers the day her dog, Aries, disappeared. She says it's the same day she called PETA to pick up two strays.

"I came back, Aries was gone, and PETA had been here," says Groves.

Groves says she called PETA but they said they didn't have her dog.

For months, she had no clue what happened to Aries.

That was until---

"Last night, when my mom went on the Internet, they found a picture of him on PETA’s Website saying that they took him from North Carolina,
saved him, and adopted him out.  That's my baby, I want him back," says Groves.

"A lot of cases go unsolved," says Gates County Sheriff Edward Webb.

Webb says he's received similar complaints from area pet owners.

"I know one we're working right now.  The lady who actually called him and told him, I have your dog, and she represented herself as a member of PETA," says Webb.

That dog was never returned.

As for Aries, Webb says he hopes it was all just a misunderstanding. 

But Groves is not so sure.

"I have cried day in and day out ever since he's gone missing, and I don't know how people could do something like that.  Whether he's dead or alive, I want him back," says Groves.

We called PETA and a spokeswoman says PETA only takes custody of animals with permission and in the presence of the owner. PETA will investigate Groves’ complaint.

http://www.wnct.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=WNCT/MGArticle/NCT_BasicArticle&c=MGArticle&cid=1031783487770&path=

Just for fun…

 An Unexpected Dinner Guest

I was in the kitchen preparing a chicken for roasting when Gracie started meowing loudly. I made hushing noises, and told her the chicken wouldn't be
ready for a while yet. She meowed again, and playfully batted something around on the floor.

It was a rat.

A dead rat.

She scooped it into the air with her paws, pounced on its limp body playfully, then meowed loudly again. Ok, I get it, "Good girl Gracie! You caught a
rat! Way to Go!" She tossed it around again while I washed my hands. (One certainly wants clean hands when there's a dead rat to pick up.)

I grabbed a grocery bag to scoop the dead rat into, and bent over. The dead rat moved. In fact, it looked right lively for a dead rat. So I, a Laboratory
Animal Technologist with 23 years experience, She Who Teaches Grad Students How To Handle Rats, quickly and authoritatively took action.

I squealed like a girl child

"Matilda! Oh, Matilda!", I shrilled.  GET THE RAT! GET IT,
MATILDA!"

She got it. And as Matilda stood there, the rat hanging out of her mouth, Gracie snaked a paw up and mischievously batted its dangling tail.

My hero!

Southeastern Branch American Association for Laboratory Animal Science
Membership Application
 

CHECK ONE OF THE FOLLOWING OPTIONS:

_____ Individual active membership
($15 per year; $10 per year if paid prior to April 1)

_____ Institutional membership
($100 per year for up to 12 persons. Please attach sheet with names, address, telephone and fax numbers, E-mail, and AALAS certification level for each institution member. Additional persons can be added under individual membership status.)

_____ Commercial membership
($200 per year for two persons. Membership includes business card advertisement for each representative in each SEAALAS
newsletter, recognition as SEAALAS sponsor and the table space for exhibit materials of meeting registrant.)

               Enlarged advertisement in each SEAALAS newsletter

                _____ ¼ page: $25.00
                _____ ½ page: $50.00
                _____ Full page: $75.00

               Advertisement in yearly membership directory
               _____ ½ page: $50.00
               _____ Full page: $100.00

TOTAL AMOUNT ENCLOSED : $ ________

 ALL MEMBERSHIPS INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING BENEFITS: receipt of the SEAALAS newsletter and membership directory, reduced costs for meeting registration, potential award receipt, networking opportunities and continuing education benefits.

 PERSONAL INFORMATION:

Name: Position: ________________________________________________

Corporation/Institution: AALAS Certification (if Applicable):_________________________

Street address/PO Box: ____________________________________________________________________________________________

(Giving only a building name and room number is not sufficient to guarantee mail delivery.)

City, State, Zip Code: E-mail address: _____________________________________

Telephone #: Fax #: ____________________________________________

Signature: Date: _____________________________________________

FOR INSTITUTIONAL AND COMMERCIAL MEMBERSHIPS PLEASE ATTACH LIST OF ADDITIONAL MEMBERS.

Please answer the following questions:

Are you a member of national AALAS? YES NO _____

If no, are you interested in joining AALAS? YES NO _____

Are you interested in serving on a SEAALAS committee? YES NO _____

If yes, do you have a committee preference?

Please enclose a check payable to SEAALAS for the appropriate amount and return it with a copy of this application to:

Robin M. Kavanaugh, RLATG
Southeastern American Association for Laboratory Animal Sciences(SEAALAS)
P.O. Box 80336
Athens , GA 30608