- Well keeping with the spirit of celebration, this next story honors a different kind of companion in our lives.

Around our region, you'll find dogs and their humans everywhere at parks, cafes, even breweries.

But if you are ready to make a splash with your four-legged friend, there's a place just for you.

AquaPups Charlotte offers a heated pool, swim lessons, rehab sessions, and plenty of wagging tails.

Producer Russ Hunsinger takes us to meet some splash happy furry friends.

(transition whooshing) (dogs barking) ♪ Who let the dogs out ♪ Who, who, who, who ♪ Who let the dogs out ♪ Who, who, who, who - Some dogs do not know how to swim.

It's not a natural thing for some of them.

We're at AquaPups Charlotte and this is a part of Independence Veterinary Clinic, and we also have Healing Pups and Spot Pups.

It's a very unique situation where you come, you stay with your dog, you're there the whole time, and you're actually throwing toys for them in the pool.

So it's very fun, interactive, definitely prepare to get wet.

(dogs barking) (pleasant music) - You ready?

- We come to AquaPups almost every day of the week.

Indy loves to get in the pool and swim.

Are you ready?

Come.

(dog barking) I get off of work and then she's right by my side ready to head here at the pool.

I mean, we can't miss a day unless it's just storming or just really bad weather.

(pleasant music) (water sloshing) - It just depends on the dog and the situation.

You know, we have people that these dogs have never seen water before at a like a pool and they come in and they do great.

Some of 'em, it just takes a little bit of time to build 'em up, to eventually get them in the water.

But for the most part, most dogs will swim and do well.

(dog barking) (water splashing) So you come in for an orientation, they're gonna wear a life jacket and the staff is going to go into the pool area with them and teach them how to get off of the ramp, fetch a toy, and then come back.

Then once they pass, once they're swimming off the ramp and coming back, then they can come back for group swims where there can be up to five dogs in the pool at a time.

Or you can come back for private swims and it's just you and your dog at the pool.

(water splashing) - [Participant] She has made a best friend with Merlin.

Merlin's a little black and white Frenchy Boston with a life jacket.

- [Russ] They definitely have favorite toys whenever you come, we keep toys here.

We have Healing Pup Charlotte, which is physical therapy and rehab.

And then we also have Woofin' Workout, which is a weight loss program.

(pleasant music) - This is Finn, my Goldendoodle, who is four years old.

Finn has epilepsy and was diagnosed when he was two and he's four now.

He had a lot of problems with his mobility.

He had a lot of weight gain due to the drugs taken for the epilepsy.

And coming to Heather and coming to the Woofin' Workout has dramatically enhanced Finn's quality of life.

Finn has lost 12 pounds and Finn has gone over a year without a seizure, which he had had before we started here.

Finn had 26 seizures.

So it is remarkable.

(pleasant music) - This is an underwater treadmill.

We use this to build up strength.

So when dogs are particularly weak, they don't necessarily want to walk in a correct position.

So they end up losing a lot of muscle.

And so this can give them back to them because it is so low impact.

So when you have the water up to shoulder and hip height, you're taking about 80% of that weight off of those joints so you can get a really great exercise in a low impact way.

(pleasant music) We really love what we do here.

We form a really close bond with a lot of these dogs.

(pleasant music) I run the PT department here.

I do everything from these Woofin' Workout.

We do a lot of laser therapy.

So we have a Class IV laser, which helps a lot with pain and inflammation.

We do a lot of strength building exercises.

(water sloshing) (pleasant music) - It's very relaxing to watch a dog swim.

Like there's nothing better in the world than to watch dogs swim.

(dog barks) - She goes home and goes to bed just straight out.

She sleeps all night then.

(dog howls) - He has great quality of life now, thanks to doing this.

We've come three days a week to see Heather.

- Alright, Finny.

- It makes me emotional to see the difference in his life.

You know, I think that there was a time when I thought Finn wouldn't make it to four.

And so to be here and know that Heather and that AquaPups Woofin' Workout, they've all supported us.

Yay.

I'm so proud of you.

(water splashing) It's like a family.