Then she found Kim Novak, a dog physical therapy practitioner.

"If a dog has three legs and one eye, it's still a good dog," said Novak, 39, whose treatment has Sophie walking again. "Eighty percent of dogs are put down because they can't walk. I want to decrease that, but I know I'm not able to save every dog in this world."

Novak is a physical therapy assistant at Christus Spohn Hospital Memorial whose love for animals led her to complete coursework in June 2008 at the University of Tennessee to be licensed as a canine rehabilitation practitioner, one of about 700 worldwide at the time, she said.

There are 12 practitioners in Texas listed on the university's Web site, and Novak may be the only one in Corpus Christi. Most are in larger cities.

Novak was born in New Jersey, grew up in Pennsylvania, and is a former slow-pitch softball athlete who went into physical therapy after requiring disc replacement in her back following an injury.

There are differences between veterinary medicine and canine therapy, Novak said.

"Sometimes owners want relief from hard decisions," she said. "It's my passion to help, yet I have to respect the veterinarians."

Physical therapy for animals is becoming an important part of veterinary medicine, especially for orthopedic and neurological problems, said Tim Tristan, a veterinarian with the Texas State Aquarium.

"It speeds the recovery, even from surgeries we perform," he said, and improves the animal's quality of life."

Novak in April opened a workspace at Bluff Boarding in the Flour Bluff section of Corpus Christi. She's helped an obese pit bull trim down with treadmill workouts. She's rehabilitated the stubby-legs of basset hounds, recuperating from surgery, by placing them on a wobble board to strengthen muscles. She's crafted braces for dogs with foot injuries.

"It's a fairly rare service, really needed in our area," said Joan Urban, owner of Bluff Boarding who has raised show dogs for more than 50 years. "There's some physical therapists who work with injured horses, but it's a real blessing having Kim at my kennel with her sunshiny-type disposition."

Dogs are easier to work with than people, Novak said.

"Dog's live in the moment, not worried about what got them there," she said.

Veterinarian's sometimes recommend cage rest, but "that's not in my vocabulary," she said.

"Gentle range of motion movement and deep heat with ultrasound help people," Novak said, "and are also options to get dogs' tails wagging sooner."