Get to Know Your Pet’s PT

Step into a world where wagging tails and slobbering kisses are part of my daily joy! Hi, I’m Shraddha — a physical therapist, lifelong animal lover, and the heart behind Golden Years PETPT Canine Rehab.

I’ve been a licensed physical therapist since 2000, after earning my Master’s in Physical Therapy from Gannon University. Over the past two decades, I’ve worked in hospitals, outpatient clinics, schools, and homes, with a special focus on both pediatrics and geriatrics. But it wasn’t until a lecture at an American Physical Therapy Association conference — on manual therapy techniques for dogs and horses — that something shifted. I had found a new calling.

That talk lit a spark in me. I thought of my first dog, Gizmo, a sweet Shetland Sheepdog who was diagnosed with a spinal sheath tumor. Then Muri, my loving Black Lab mix, who lived with IVDD. Neither time was canine rehab mentioned as an option. Looking back, I realize now that I could have helped them — if only I’d known. That feeling stayed with me.

Driven by love and the desire to do more, I combined my physical therapy background with formal training in canine rehabilitation through the Canine Rehabilitation Institute. From there, Golden Years PETPT Canine Rehab was born — a place where dogs can receive compassionate, individualized rehab and wellness care to return to the life they love.

Outside of work, you’ll usually find me learning Italian or planning my next trip to Italy — my dream place. My husband and I made a promise to visit every year, and I cherish our shared love for the culture, food, and language. At home, we’re proud pet parents to Leonardo the Rhodesian Ridgeback, Tech the Terrier Mix, DaVinci the Tuxedo Cat, Speckles the Leopard Gecko, Franklin and Reagan the Red-Eared Slider Turtles, 26 colorful Koi fish — and two incredible human children now off in college.

I’m also passionate about supporting local dog rescues here in Northern Illinois and give my extra time to dog walking and helping at adoption events.

This work is personal to me. Every dog I meet is a reminder of Gizmo and Muri — and a chance to help another pet live a fuller, more comfortable life.