ESA and Service Dog Program

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It is our pleasure to announce that Bonafide Therapy Dogs, Inc., and 

Dr. Janné Lomasky, Psy.D. have collaborated to bring an Emotional Support Animal, and Service Dog program to those in need. This program allows for a more obedient, and well trained dog that you will be proud to have by your side, and in public. 

Dr. Janné Lomasky (Psy.D.), is a Licensed (PY7946) Clinical Psychologist, hypnotherapist, anger management specialist, and qualified supervisor. She has extensive training in behavioral medicine, EMDR and relationships. 

Dr. Lomasky specializes in Mind/body medicine. Her expert knowledge, Clinical skills, and personal experiences provide her with the insight to identify people's specific needs and help them heal and succeed. 

Dr. Lomasky utilizes a mind-body approach for comprehensive wellness. She provides assessments and testing for children and adults when needed to determine specific and accurate intervention.

Dr. Lomasky is a corporate speaker and co-author of To Stay Or Not To Stay, an insightful, compassionate, and comprehensive workbook for making a major life decision. Dr. Lomasky is trained in EMDR and mindfulness. She leads groups, seminars, and workshops using these skills. Whether you are experiencing issues in your personal life, relationships, family, work, social environment, or just want to gain more insight, Dr. Lomasky will help move you out of what you do not want, and into the life you do want in achieving your therapy goals.

Emotional support animals (ESA) are animals that provide emotional support, and comfort for individuals with disabilities, thus enabling those individuals to function in daily activities. They are not Service Dogs (animals that are trained to perform certain tasks to help individuals with disabilities engage in activities of daily living). 

Unlike service animals, there are only two situations in which federal law requires others to allow you to have your ESA with you-air travel and housing. Service Dogs are covered under the American Disability Act, and are aloud access to all public places. However, certain legal requirements must be met, including having appropriate documentation signed by a licensed mental health professional. 

When a client/patient requests a letter, the mental health professional has to determine the following: 

1. The client/patient meets the diagnostic criteria for one or more mental disorders; 2. Those disorders constitute a disability, meaning that the client’s/patient’s symptoms interfere significantly with his or her ability to function in important social and occupational activities; 3. The client/patient requires (rather than wants or prefers) the dogs presence in order to function during flight (or for activities at the client’s destination) or in a housing environment; 4. Clinically ethically speaking, it is in the best interest of the client/patient to have the dog accompany him/her; and 5. The client/patient is under the care of the evaluator or another mental health professional who is collaborating with the evaluator. 

In order to determine whether the above conditions are met, the evaluator must collect information from multiple data sources rather than just rely on the client’s/patient’s self-report. These sources may include: 1. A clinical interview with the client/patient, which may take 1-2 hours; 2. Administration of psychological tests, which may take approximately 1-2 hours; 3. A review of records (e.g., medical records, school records, public records, work-related records, etc.) that may have relevant information; and 4. Collateral interviews (interviews with other people, such as family members, partners, employers, therapists/counselors, teachers, etc. who may have helpful information about the client’s difficulties with functioning).

There are many documented legal, ethical, and clinical problems associated with using an online service. If you use such a service, you are accepting a greater risk that if your letter is challenged, the legal conditions necessary to support the letter may not be in place. For more detailed information, I recommend reading the article entitled “Regulations Related to Responding to Client Requests for Letters-4 Facts,” which was published in The Advocate Magazine, the official magazine of the American Mental Health Counselors Association, in the Fall of 2018. Although written for counselors, the article gives much more detailed information on letter requirements and process, as well as concerns about some of the online letter services 

1. Leaving a motor vehicle — the dog must leave the passenger cabin in a calm manner as well as bring out any bags/items the service dog user may need. The dog is expected to wait calmly outside if the service dog handler/caretaker needs to bring out a wheelchair or other mobility assistance items. It is imperative that the dog remains focused and not run off or ignore commands. This test may include walking by another dog in order to test if the service dog candidate would pull on the leash, and try to go to another dog.
 

2. Approaching buildings — the service dog candidate and its handler must move through a parking lot in order to access a building. The dog has to move with the pace of the handler and it must not be afraid of cars. If the handler stops for any reason, the dog must do the same without pulling on the leash or pushing the handler.
 

3. Building entry — the service dog handler and his/her partner need to enter a building in a calm fashion. The dog needs to remain close to the handler, avoid distractions and may need to wait at a reception desk for a few minutes until the handler proceeds further in the building with the dog.
 

4. Navigating a building — the service dog candidate and its handler need to move confidently through the building and remain within a touching distance. The dog must not wander and pull on the leash. The dog must not attempt to solicit attention from people and try to approach other dogs while inside.
 

5. Recall from a distance — usually, the handler and the dog will need a wide-open space for this test. A parking lot or a park can serve for this. The dog will be left by itself and commanded to wait. The handler has to move about 5 meters away, call the dog to him/her and the dog must approach in a calm manner without being distracted.

6. Sit on command — the dog will be commanded to sit three times in different settings and it must respond promptly with no more than two commands issued per sitting:
a) The first sitting will be next to a bowl with food, the dog must not try to eat the food or sniff it. The dog should not be taunted with the food and it should ignore it.
b) The second sitting will be performed with a shopping cart. The handler needs to move past the dog while it is sitting and the dog needs to remain in a sitting position without attempting to approach the handler.
c) The third sitting will require the dog to remain in a sitting position while the handler initiates a conversation with another person. The second party will pet the dog on the head after the conversation has ended. The dog needs to remain calm, avoid seeking extra attention and continue sitting unless given another command.
 

7. Downs on command — this exercise is the same as the sitting test and the dog needs to lie down within the same context as listed above. The participating parties need to act casually and not taunt the dog or attempt to interact with the dog for long periods. If the dog attempts to break the laying position the handler is permitted to command the dog to remain down.
 

8. Response to Noise — the examiner will walk next to the handler and the service dog, and suddenly drop an item behind (like a note or a clipboard). The dog may react to the sound and turn back. However, the dog must continue with the pace of its handler and it must not react with aggression or fear. No barking is allowed unless that is a part of the dog’s work.
 

9. Restaurant manners — the handler, the dog, and the examiner will be seated at a table. The dog will have to move under the table its size permits or stay close to the handler. The dog is expected to lie down and move a little for comfort while the handler and examiner enjoy a meal. The dog will fail this part if it moves a lot of attempts to beg for food.
 

10. Leash recovery — the handler will move with the dog for some time and then drop the leash. The dog must see the leash dropping and the handler will have to call on the dog and demonstrate control from a distance. The dog must approach the handler in a calm manner and both should continue walking together.
 

11. Transfer of control — the handler will give the leash to the examiner or assistant and move away at about 20 meters. The dog must remain with the person holding the leash, it must not be aggressive and it must not show excessive stress and whine.
 

12. Building egress — the dog and its handler will have to leave the building in a controlled and confident fashion. The dog must not be distracted and it must not show fear of vehicles passing by the exit/entry of the building.
 

13. Entry of vehicle — the dog must wait for the handler to open the vehicle door and enter calmly. The dog must respond to “wait”, “go in” and “sit” promptly.
 

14. Team bond — the handler and the dog must be confident, calm, and easy-going. The dog must demonstrate a positive attitude and remain undistracted. The pair should be good ambassadors for service dog work.

Please Note:

AKC's Urban CGC test has always included the items needed for Public Access Testing. Public access tests demonstrate that the handler has good control over the dog, and the dog is well-behaved when in public. 

Passing all of our 3 levels of the AKC Canine Good Citizen tests (CGC, CGCA, and CGCA) alone does not constitute your dog to be a Service Dog, or Emotional Support Dog. A key distinction of Service or Emotional Support Dogs is that the owner/handler has a disability. It is unethical to misrepresent a pet dog as a Service or Emotional Support animal. After the above tests are completed, there are many hours of task work ahead to be done to be considered a Service Dog.

The most suitable breeds for different types of assistance dogs, as well as the main features that they need to posses. In general, an appropriate breed should be easy to train, intelligent, with a stable temperament, with good obedience and social skills, with a large size- when needed for physical tasks like pulling a wheelchair or balance support. Some of the most suitable breeds for service dogs are: Labrador/Golden Retrievers, German Shepherds, Poodles, Border collie, and Bernese mountain dog.

Your first step is to have Bonafide Therapy Dogs, Inc. evaluate your dog for the 3 Level AKC Canine Good Citizen program. The evaluation is FREE, and it gives our certified AKC evaluators a better idea of how your dog behaves. If your dog is not ready for this program, we will be more than happy to help guide you to one of the many dog behaviorists we work with to help you achieve your goal! Once you have passed your evaluation, you will be enrolled in our program. This program is an 8 week course, given once a week for an hour. You then have 10 supervised visits that need to be made. 

You, and your dog will learn all the basic commands, and then some. It is here where you will learn to become a team, allowing you the handler to have more control over your dog in public. 

After graduating you will receive your certificates through AKC (American Kennel Club) saying you passed all 3 Levels of the AKC Canine Good Citizen Tests, and receive a letter from our organization that you have completed our program.

We will now refer you to a Service Dog trainer, to do your task work with.

Any questions regarding the training portion only, please contact Bonafide Therapy Dogs directly at the below: 

Email: bonafidetherapydogs@gmail.com  /  Cell: 561.818.7876  /  www.bonafidetherapydogs.com  

Once you have obtained your AKC Canine Good Citizen Certificates, you can now make your appointment for your clinical interview with 

Dr. Janné Lomasky Psy.D., where proof of certification is required to obtain your ESA letter, or to continue to do your task work for Service Dog in the next program.

For questions concerning the clinical part of the program please contact Dr. Lomasky directly at the below:

Email: drjlomasky@gmail.com  / Work: 561.777.2021 / Cell: 561.929.1203 / www.drjlomasky.com