Most pet owners know that caring for their furry friends can be costly especially if they’re injured. But a new center is helping heal our dogs without a trip to the vet.

Four-year-old Zef is no stranger to the water but it’s not just the chew toys that’s got him plunging into a new pool.

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“He’s an agility dog and this year he ran into a cinder block and hurt a muscle in his right rear leg. He wasn’t able to use his leg, he would carry it behind him,” says Zef’s owner, Tina Kitchen of Rockford.

That is why Kitchen takes him to Dog Paddle Beach in Loves Park.

Kitchen says, “He’s gotten a lot better; he’s able to use his leg now, he’s walking well.”

Dog Paddle Beach just opened a week ago and owner Stacey Bonetti is already seeing more than a dozen four-legged friends with all sorts of problems.

Bonetti explains, “A lot of torn ACL’s, some back injury, a lot of arthritis, but I’ve had several people who say my dog is out of shape after being a couch potato all winter.”

In some cases Bonetti says the aqua therapy can even replace surgery.

“The surgery, sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn’t, and it costs a lot of money,” says Bonetti.

Kitchen says without the water Zef wouldn’t be the same.

“The leg would have got worse, he wouldn’t have used it, it would have just deteriorated and he would’ve been a three-legged dog,” says Kitchen.

If you’re interested in taking your pet to Dog Paddle Beach, it costs $25 for a half hour and $50 for an hour.

The facility is located at 5329 Forest Hills Ct., off Forest Hills Rd. in Loves Park. There is not a sign up just yet so it can be a little tricky to find.