Donna Dishman, co-founder of Canine Classmates, died of cancer at her Canyon Lake home July 10 with husband Archie Dishman at her side.
The couple’s gentle but specially trained 150-pound Newfoundland dogs have helped thousands of area elementary school students improve their reading skills and calmed hundreds of abused children and families swept up in the legal and foster-care systems.
Canine Classmates was founded in 2007 to help at-risk children struggling to read.
Dishman is survived by her beloved service dogs and a faithful community of close friends and supporters, Archie Dishman said.
Current service dogs working in the Comal ISD include Chablis, Rahe Elementary; Rigel, Startzville, Oak Creek and Freheit elementary schools; Mo, Bill Brown Elementary School; Judge, Farias-Spitzer, Morningside and Goodwin Frazier elementary schools; Sierra, Wayfair Elementary School; Rigel, Oak Creek and Freiheit elementary schools; Buddy, Mountain Valley Elementary School; Hazel, Mountain Valley Elementary School; Turpin, Mountain Valley Elementary School; Beaux, Arlon Seay Elementary School; Penny, Comal Creek Elementary School; Quincy Jones, Timberwood Park Elementary School; Pegasus, Hoffman Lane Elementary School; and Rudi, Johnson Ranch Elementary School.
The Newfoundlands also work in New Braunfels and Navarro ISDs.
A Celebration of Life is scheduled from 5-7 p.m. Thursday, July 23 at McKenna Children’s Museum, 801 W. San Antonio, New Braunfels. An informal visitation for those unable to attend that ceremony is planned from 5-7 p.m. Wednesday, July 22 at Doeppenschmidt Funeral Home, 189 N. Seguin Ave., New Braunfels.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to Canine Classmates. Information is available at CanineClassmates.org.
Pups with Superpowers
Community leaders who worked closely with Dishman said she spent the last several weeks of her brief illness worrying about the future of Canine Classmates.
“There will never be another Donna Dishman but her legacy and this partnership will continue,” said Comal County District Attorney Jennifer Tharp.
Dishman and four-legged therapy dogs Sgt. Gander, Justice and Judge showed up at Comal County courts to support victims of sexual and domestic abuse.
The dogs sit with family members during pre-trial meetings and court proceedings offering comfort, reducing anxiety and helping them participate more confidently in the legal process.
“Many would say that Donna’s pups had superpowers because they always knew just who to lean into, love and snuggle,” Tharp said.
Canine Classmates filled a gap in the criminal justice system.
“While her pups were exceptionally trained, I truly believe their intuition and hearts of gold came from the love and care that both Donna and Archie provided them.”
A Life of Service
Archie Dishman said his wife lived to help others, combining her love of dogs with the desire to help people in need.
McKenna CEO Alice Jewell, who oversees grants to nonprofits, said she first met Donna Dishman in 2014 when she enthusiastically introduced Canine Classmates as a passion project for the couple.
“For years, she grew the program by accomplishing difficult tasks, recruited volunteers, trained and housed huge dogs, and forged strong relationships with school campus leadership,” she said. “McKenna supported her vision of Canine Classmates through hundreds of thousands of dollars in grant funding because we believed the investment was beneficial to kids today and critical to develop a strong relationship for their future.
“Donna never gave up her vision, even though she was consistently asked, ‘can dogs really help kids be better readers?’ She knew in her heart that the answer was yes, and the program was about more than just reading. Donna brought confidence, companionship and care to kids who otherwise might go without. Her forthright spirit and drive were contagious and changed kids’ lives. For that she will never be forgotten.”
Norma Castilla-Blackwell, chief executive officer of CASA, described Donna Dishman as a tremendous advocate for foster children going through the adoption process.
“Her kindness and support meant so much, and her presence will truly be missed—especially on Adoption Day, where she brought comfort and encouragement to so many children,” she said.
Comal County Precinct 1 Commissioner Doug Leecock said Donna Dishman was a “steadfast rock” who set a standard for helping people, especially children.
“Words just cannot encompass the positive impact Donna tirelessly worked to provide with the Newfoundland puppies,” he said. “I will miss her confident nature of presence.”
Jen Crownover, who represents Canyon Lake in Precinct 4, called Dishman an “absolute treasure.”
“From her work and dedication in the schools, to her civic organization involvement, and the instrumental role she’s played in our court system with Canine Classmates, her impact will live on as a gold standard. A heck of a legacy.”
Dogs in Classrooms
Archie Dishman describes Canine Classmates as a specialized-reading, literacy-intervention program that pairs at-risk children facing challenges with specially trained therapy dogs.
Donna Dishman coordinated 25 volunteers and dogs in 23 schools and at numerous special events in Comal, New Braunfels and Navarro ISDs.
Many of the those are schools are classified as ‘Title 1.’ A large percentage of their students are from economically and socially challenged backgrounds, putting them at higher risk for withdrawal, truancy, disengagement, resistance and mental health issues, Archie Dishman said.
“The publication Literacy Now states that 85% of the juveniles in the justice system are functionally illiterate,” he said. “Our goal is to improve the literacy with students in grades K-5 to help them develop the skills necessary to be successful in school and beyond.”
Valerie Visser, a Canyon Lake resident whose son Cannon first met Donna Dishman and her dogs at Startzville Elementary, remembers her as a cornerstone for reading support for thousands of Comal ISD elementary students.
“She created an environment for struggling readers to feel safe, confident and supported. Donna impacted not only the kids but their parents and teachers as well. She was quiet and humble, but her imprint on our community was mighty. We will love and miss her big.”
Donna Dishman created an annual scholarship in Visser’s son’s name, the Cannon and Tyler (Dow) Canine Classmates Scholarship.
The boys graduated from Canyon Lake High School in 2024. Cannon Visser is now studying to become a meteorologist, and Dow is pursuing a degree in culinary arts.
Both have spoken at Canine Classmates fundraisers.
Added another mother on social media: “You took my little six-year-old boy, barely able to talk, let alone read, and helped him find his words and become confident in himself. A debt I will never be able to repay you all. This sweet child of mine (of which will be 21 soon) loves both you and Archie to the moon. And we would not be where we are today without you.”
Champ(ion) for Children
Pure-bred dogs registered with the American Kennel Club can’t be named Champion so the very last dog Donna Dishman brought into Canine Classmates is officially named ‘Lean on Me.’
But at The Children’s Advocacy Center of Comal County (CACCC), which has offices in Canyon Lake and New Braunfels, the 75-pound, eight-month-old future advocate is simply known as “Champ.”
It’s a synonym for advocate, and that’s his future job.
Champ will have to pass a good canine citizenship class in three weeks. Then he’ll qualify to sit with children undergoing forensic interviews that require them to reveal horrific details of sexual abuse and trauma to law enforcement officials.
“He will also be available to the kids who are in counseling, to help them be able to talk better about what they’ve gone through, what they’ve experienced,” Executive Director Stacy Dufur said.
Or, he can simply sit in the waiting room with families.
When Donna Dishman became ill, Champ went to live with Dufur’s family.
He has one more training course to complete before he can be fully “deployed” but is the calmest dog Dufur’s said she’s ever met.
In fact, Donna Dishman picked him for the CACCC because of his demeanor.
“He’s a very good boy, and he’s been through a lot, too,” Dufur said. “So we’re trying to take it easy on him as well and keep his schedule as normal as we possibly can. That way he can thrive in the capacity in which Donna dreamed he would, which I have no doubt that he will.”
Bred to Serve
Champ and four other Canine Classmates came from Ozark Legends Newfoundlands in West Plains, Missouri.
Breeder Kimberly Ohse said some people come into her life because of dogs but leave an imprint on her heart because of who they are.
When the Dishmans visited her kennels, they were looking for dogs with extraordinary hearts that could change the lives of children.
“We shared conversations, dreams and a love for these gentle giants and the comfort they bring to people,” Ohse said. “We are profoundly grateful that our Newfoundlands were able to play a small part in the extraordinary work she dedicated her life to. The world is a little less kind today without Donna in it. Thank you for trusting our dogs with your mission, for believing in the healing power of a Newfoundland, and for showing all of us what a life of compassion and service truly looks like.”
About Donna Dishman
Donna Dishman was born to Don and Billie Evans on June 5, 1947, in Beaumont, Texas.
Archie Dishman said she spent many years of her childhood in Maracaibo, Venezuela, but returned to the United States to attend San Marcos Academy.
She studied at the University of Texas and later taught school in Maracaibo before becoming a flight attendant for Pan American Airlines.
Dishman moved to Houston, where she lived until 2006 before moving to Canyon Lake.
There, she founded PAWS Houston, whose mission was providing chronic and terminally ill patients with visits from their beloved pets.
Houston’s Methodist Hospital approached Donna Dishman about developing a policy for the hospital system to allow patients to see their dogs – not just therapy dogs – within the hospital setting.
Within three months, a policy was developed, and soon after, PAWS Houston was in all hospitals in the Medical Center area of Houston.
“These visits provided happiness and comfort to those who were suffering and helped some patients to fully recover,” Archie Dishman said.
In Houston, he also served as vice president of Finance and Administration for the United Way.