Shadow, a 12-year-old Labrador retriever, had arthritis and he was in such constant pain that he could hardly walk.

"I was about to put him to sleep because he really suffered.  Our regular veterinarian said there was nothing she could do about it," said Mary Jo Schobel of Cary.

"But Shadow is such a sweet, loving dog.  With our sons grown up and away from home, he is just like a child to us," she added.

That was back in September.

Today, Shadow not only can walk again, but hops into the family car without any difficulty.  He can fetch a ball or whatever his master commands him to do -- all because of the treatment he has received at TOPS Veterinary Rehabilitation Center in Grayslake.

At TOPS, perhaps one of the country's most state-of-the-art veterinary rehabilitation facilities, Shadow underwent a thorough exam that lasted two hours.  After that, it was given pain medication and joint supplements, plus a series of therapies, including underwater treadmill therapy, aquatic bioelectric therapy, pulsed signal therapy, acupuncture and chiropractic therapy.  He was also given supplements to boost his joints and muscles.

Shadow is off pain medication but remains on chiropractic and acupuncture treatments periodically.

"I call it a miracle," Schobel said of the transformation her dog has gone through, mentioning that it was Shadow's regular veterinarian who recommended taking him to TOPS.

TOPS is the brainchild of Dr. Laurie McCauley who firmly believes that if rehabilitation therapies are available to humans, they should be made accessible to animals.  As owner and operator of the unique center, she acknowledges she is in the "forefront" of the innovative field.

"As the population ages, more and more, people treat their dogs or cats as their children.  The human-animal bond is growing," said McCauley, born in Long Island, N.Y., who has a bachelor's degree in biology from the University of Denver.

She then went to Colorado State University's School of Veterinary Medicine, known as one of the top veterinary schools in the nation.  After receiving a veterinary doctor's degree there in 1992, she practiced in Palos Heights, Oswego, Milwaukee and Kenosha before opening her business in Grayslake in 1998.

TOPS is well-known in the Chicago area.  Besides the rehabilitation center, there is a kennel and also a boarding and training facility -- all on five acres at 1440 E. Belvidere Road.

Alex Rothacker, a trainer who runs the kennel with his wife, Paula, has appeared on the Letterman and Jay Leno shows with his dogs.  A border collie he trained has delighted television audiences with its ability to run across the stage with a cup of water balancing on the nose without a drip or a dribble.

"There's a huge need for animal rehabilitation that has not been met," said McCauley of injured animals and animals that suffer from arthritis or are paralyzed for one reason or another.

"While physical therapies have been available to people, there has been nothing for animals.  People don't know what to do when their dogs are paralyzed or in great pain," she added.

McCauley recently held an open house of her $1 million-plus, 4,000-square-foot facility, equipped with the state-of-the-art rehabilitation equipment.  The underwater treadmill, for instance, is equipped with a video camera that records the progress of the patient.  Other gadgets include an electric muscle stimulator, a pain-relieving machine and an ultrasound therapeutic machine.

McCauley has a staff of 17 including another veterinarian and several therapists.  She is a certified acupuncturist and chiropractor.  Her husband, Tom, a former Procter & Gamble executive, manages the business side.

She sees patients referred to her by other veterinarians.  An overwhelming majority of her patients are dogs.  Many of her patients come from out of state, including Florida, Michigan, Colorado, Wisconsin and Washington state.  Some are flown in, she said.  She was kept so busy the other day when her appointments included 18 patients.

The dogs, she said, are not cage at TOPS.  Rather, they are kept in suites where they can roam freely and watch the animal channel on cable television.

"When I first started, I saw dogs ready to die or went to the vet as a last resort," she reflected.

"Today, dogs can be rehabilitated just like people," she added.

Is rehabilitation for rich dogs?

"No," she said emphatically.  "It is for anyone who loves animals."

A complete exam that lasts two hours costs $160.  Therapy costs between $23 and $75 a session.

As Schobel, the owner of the Labrador retriever.  She said, "It's not inexpensive, but it's well worth it to see Shadow back to his sweet loving self."