In Memory of Jana Renee Thomas
Jana Thomas passed into the care of God on June 1, 2021. She was the founder and CEO of Paws for Smiles, Inc., a not-for-profit organization created in 2005 and dedicated to bringing smiles to nursing homes, hospices, hospitals, and schools in South Florida through registered pet therapy dogs.
Her organization assists in the pet therapy registration process and connects “pet therapy teams” with locations where they are needed. She was instrumental in starting Service Dogs 4 Servicemen and other volunteer organizations that brought dogs and people together.
Jana credited her dear friend and pet therapy mentor, Nancy Grubbs, as the person who motivated her passion for therapy dogs. Nancy organized a group of obedience club members to do a demonstration at a nursing home in 1982. As Jana tells it, “That one visit expanded to weekly visits and my 35-year career testing and creating therapy dog teams throughout Florida.”
Jana belonged to the Alliance of Therapy Dogs and was the only Therapy Dog Tester/Observer in South Florida. She is a certified tester for the national organization, Therapy Dogs, Inc.
She was an active member of the Hollywood Dog Obedience Club of Hollywood, Inc. where, over the years, she served on the board of directors, a teacher of basic obedience and pet therapy classes. She was the primary teacher for DOCOH’s puppy classes and considered one of the best puppy teachers in South Florida. She began using positive reinforcement techniques with puppies long before it became a popular training method.
Jana loved Shelties and was a both an active and lifetime member of the Shetland Sheepdog Club of Southeast Florida. Her first Australian Shepherd, Mandy, was not only competition trained, but her first service dog.
In addition to being an excellent teacher of basic obedience classes, Jana competed in Obedience and Agility trials with her dogs, winning CD and CDX titles.
The Miami-Dade Fire Rescue entrusted Jana to test the dog/handler teams in their therapy dog program. The teams are sent out to help first responders on sites of difficult calls and to provide comfort when they return to the station.
In 2013, the Fort Lauderdale Airport introduced FLL AmbassaDogs. Jana was part of this group of volunteer therapy dogs and handler teams who roamed terminals and concourses visiting passengers and children awaiting flights. All the AmbassaDogs were certified Therapy Dogs from Alliance of Therapy Dogs, Therapy Dogs International and Share-a-Pet organizations.
Throughout the years Jana’s Paws for Smiles organization visited patients at Miami Children’s, Jackson Memorial, South Miami, and Baptist hospitals in Miami-Dade, along with Memorial Manor, Memorial West, Memorial Pembroke, Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital and Vitas Hospice in Broward. She took potential therapy dogs on at least three visits to Memorial Manor nursing home.
A longtime advocate for the ADA, Jana was authorized by the Pembroke Pines Police Department to issue warnings/summons for people using Accessible Parking Spaces (Parking spaces for persons who have disabilities) without proper authority.
Born with spina bifida, Jana accomplished all these things from her wheelchair and a custom van, making her not only an advocate for the ADA but an inspiration to everyone she met.
Jana was undaunted by COVID-19 restrictions. She so missed her weekly visits to Memorial Manor nursing home, that she switched to ZOOM visits between her team and the residents.
In one of her last posts she remarked, “I wanted to tell all my friends and therapy teams how much I love you and will miss you.”
Jana will be missed and her spirit will live on in all the wonderful furry friends she helped train to support those in need.
Paws for Smiles, Inc. is a 501 (c) (3) Florida registered Not for Profit Charitable Organization.