Mel is 10 years old, and her ideal world would include the use of a pool for the rest of the summer.

Yeah, Mel and every other 10-year-old, right?

Wrong. Mel is a German shepherd trained for volunteer search and rescue duties with the Allegheny Mountain Rescue Group but sidelined by a spinal cord problem and subsequent surgery. And her pool time would be spent in rehabilitation rather than recreation.

Her owner, Heather Houlahan, of Cranberry, is a full-time dog trainer who works from her home. Mel is one of four dogs she owns. Houlahan, 38, hopes to help the animal get healthy and back on the job by using hydrotherapy, which lists a shortened recovery time among its many benefits.

In the therapy, stress on the affected area is reduced because dogs are weightless in the water, just like humans doing water workouts. The dogs also are able to achieve a full range of motion while strengthening all their muscles.

The only problem is that Mel and Houlahan do not have a swimming pool or body of water to call their own. Instead, they are petitioning willing residents to open their pools and help Mel to regain full use of her legs.

If they are lucky enough to get a pool they can use, Houlahan plans to start out small and build up to 15- or 20-minute sessions.

"It's more important to get in there between four and seven days a week for five minutes as opposed to doing a lot at once," she said.

Houlahan said that Mel, a search and rescue dog since she was a puppy, has never been one to back down from challenge. "This dog has one speed: open throttle, full speed ahead.

"There's no point in going around when you can go busting straight through. She has been this way her entire life."

In March, Houlahan noticed a slight difference in Mel's behavior.

"She stopped to think about things before she did them," Houlahan said. "With any other dog, you would think it had to do with mature judgment, but not her."

She took Mel to Cranberry veterinarian Darryl Strobel. He sensed something was wrong but could not find a physical problem.

In early May, Mel got so stiff that at one point she couldn't get to her feet, sending Houlahan back to Strobel. He determined that Mel had a calcified disk between the first and second lumbar vertebrae and prescribed prednisone, a steroid used to treat inflammation.

He also suggested that Houlahan make an appointment with a specialist, James Beebe, of Northview Animal Hospital in Ross.

But the day before the scheduled appointment with Beebe, the disk blew, paralyzing Mel's hind legs. Houlahan feared she would lose her partner.

"For two days, it was pretty terrifying," she said.

Mel required emergency surgery and was rendered temporarily paralyzed. She was given an eight-week recovery period.

So far, she has exceeded all expectations, and Houlahan is working to rebuild her strength and coordination.

Mel is walked on grass often and uses a piece of agility equipment to strengthen her hind quarters. Built by Houlahan, it is a 12-inch-wide plank with several half-inch round plastic pipes for the dog to step over. The purpose is to strengthen the leg muscles and help with balance.

Balance is a problem partly because the spinal cord injury left greater impairment on Mel's right side than on her left.

"It's definitely helping; she's not falling over sideways as much when she gets excited," Houlahan said.

Houlahan hopes to have Mel back into training for searches in the next four to six months.

In addition to her search and rescue work, Mel also assists Houlahan in her work at Lap Wolf Dog Training, teaching other dogs to follow commands. Now Mel also is serving as something of a human trainer, training Houlahan herself.

"She is how I learned that you just don't give up and don't discount anyone," Houlahan said.

If you have a pool Mel could use in therapy, contact Heather Houlahan at houlahan@pitt.edu.

First Published: July 25, 2004, 4:00 a.m.