Page 33 - BusinessWest January 8, 2024

certification in that specialty, so she enrolled a program at the University
of Tennessee, which, beyond the class- work, involved a 200-hour internship, six case studies, practical work, and more, and in 2009, she became a certi- fied canine rehabilitation practitioner.
Three years later, she took a job with Riverbend Animal Hospital in Hadley, working for Dr. David Thom- son, one of the region’s foremost ani- mal surgeons. Her initial role there was in wellness and as a technician, but a few months in, she began doing rehab work.
“He really let me do what I needed to do for rehab; I set all the programs up, I did all the post-op care, all that kind of stuff, and started making con- nections with local veterinarians, and they would start referring some of their patients over to me as well, out- side of Dr. Thomson,” she said. “And after doing that for about six years
or so, I thought, this is a really good business model.”
She also knew there weren’t many full-service canine rehabilitation prac- tices in the region, so she could fill
a need by opening her own. But at first, she struggled to find the right location, one that offered her the space and amenities she needed at an affordable price.
“And right about this time last year, I was driving by, and this place was for lease. I thought, it’s a really good standalone building that could be perfect for rehab. So I called up the number on the sign, I got right in, and I fell in love with it instantly. I knew this was absolutely the space that I want to do rehab in.”
After a few months building it out with new walls and flooring, paint, and other renovations, Harris opened Power Paws on April 3, and she hasn’t regretted the move once. “It’s been a crazy year. After nine months, it’s just as successful as I thought it was going to be.”
The job is one of constant learning and evolution, too.
For example, “laser therapy used to be much different when I first went to school for it. It was much lower power, there wasn’t a lot of science behind it, and a lot of research since then has gone into what wavelengths and joules and energy are most effec- tive for different things. And now I can just put in a condition, the size
of the dog, the color of the dog, and it gives me exactly what I need, which is really helpful. So that’s definitely come a long way.”
In addition, she explained, shock- wave treatments have long been help- ful for tendon and ligament injuries, but the dogs had to be fully anesthe- tized because it was painful and very loud, so it wasn’t cost-effective for a lot of people. But now, mobile units are available that don’t require anes- thesia. “Someday, I’ll get that here
— I don’t have it quite yet — but that’s been a big change for sure.”
Beyond technology, Harris also attends continuing-education classes in rehab each year, while drawing on ideas from other sources as well.
“I’m always learning new exercises that I can do with dogs because there are so many smart people in the world that have put together videos and blogs, and every day, I’m just constantly learn- ing — how can I make this dog better? What’s a different exercise I can do that would make a bigger difference for this dog? It’s a really great community out there where everybody shares informa- tion and collaborates, which is really nice.”
Pet Project
Not surprisingly, the most gratifying part of Harris’s job is seeing how happy the dogs are when they come in — and seeing them gradually grow stronger and healthier.
“I really love seeing them yanking their owners across the parking lot to come in because they want to come in and play, and I love seeing them get bet- ter, having them go from withdrawn and not engaging much with their owners, because they’re in pain, to figuring out what’s painful, treating that, and turning them into a dog the owners forgot they had. That’s really, really rewarding.”
The dog owners are often surprised
at the effectiveness of properly targeted rehab, she added.
“Usually they’re pretty blown away after a few treatments. They’re like, ‘they’re so much better, and they’re doing this thing that they never did in a long time,’ or ‘they’re playing with toys again; they’re playing with the other dog.’ It’s great to hear the stories of how much happier their dog is.”
Harris still works one day a week
at Riverbend, and appreciates how supportive Thomson has been in her reaching her goal of owning a business.
“He’s retiring soon, so it was a good time for me to transition out and do my own thing here,” she said. “I’m very grateful and very lucky to be here.” BW
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