Who We Are
Donna & Archie Dishman
Donna and Archie Dishman have extensive experience in non-profit organizations. In the 90s, Donna founded the Mission of PAWS Houston, which worked with terminally ill pet owners/patients keeping pets and humans together when the patient needed them most. Methodist Hospital in Houston approached Donna 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. Archie’s tenure included serving as Vice President of Finance and Administration for the United Way.
Continuing with the importance of the human-animal bond connection, Donna and Archie founded Canine Classmates, a literacy intervention program, in 2007 to focus on at-risk children struggling to read. The literacy program started at Goodwin Frasier Elementary School with 27 students and only two dogs – Kaiser and Kosmo. Both Kaiser and Kosmo were Wooly Malamute rescues. In 2012, they were two of twelve dogs recognized by the National Malamute Rescue in Chattanooga, Tennessee, at their National Convention for the literacy intervention program. The recognition included being paraded in a ring with ribbons and a book with a story about each recognized malamute.
Today, Canines Classmates has grown to service 23 elementary schools in New Braunfels ISD, Comal ISD, and Navarro ISD. Hosting over 7,000 one-on-one mentoring sessions annually, the program includes 23 Best Buddy volunteers and 17 Canine therapy dogs. While Donna and Archie have six Newfoundlands in the program, there is a wide range of breeds that participate weekly in the schools.
Since 2020, Canine Classmates has offered another program: Canines in the Courthouse. Canine Classmates provides the Comal County Criminal District Attorney’s Office with emotional support court dogs – Sgt. Gander and Justice – who accompany vulnerable, anxious, and traumatized victims who are preparing to testify and are testifying in criminal court matters. The court dogs provide unconditional acceptance and love and give a sense of safety to those who have experienced trauma, such as physical or sexual assault or abuse. The decrease in a victim’s level of anxiety is visible and, in turn, assists them in participating in conversations and testimony about the difficult, horrific, and traumatizing experiences they have endured.
Archie and Donna met when Archie moved into the apartment next to Donna’s. They have been married for 35 years. Their family of furry Newfoundlands is at the center of their world. Outside of caring for their four-legged kids, Donna and Archie love the University of Texas Longhorns, golf, and enjoying an occasional date weekend in New Braunfels.
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Donna & Archie
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