Historic flooding in Natchitoches couldn’t prevent Pi Kappa Phi’s popular philanthropic event, ‘The Puppy Experience,’ from making its return to the Northwestern State University campus.

Torrential rain on March 9 forced the fraternity to delay the opportunity for students spend quality time with rescue dogs from Hope For Paws, a community-run rescue group. Instead, members volunteered at the the shelter, rescuing animals from rising water and assisting the staff with preparing for more flooding.

Once the area had an opportunity to dry out, ‘The Puppy Experience’ came to the brickway outside Kyser Hall. On Monday, March 14, students and faculty stopped by the fraternity’s tent to spend some quality time with adorable dogs available for adoption.

Any donation to The Ability Experience, Pi Kappa Phi’s philanthropy which serves people with disabilities, came with 10 minutes of puppy playtime. All of the animals were available for adoption.

The event also allowed Pi Kappa Phi members to engage their peers in a conversation about the vision of the philanthropy, “to create a community, one relationship at a time, where the abilities of all people are recognized and valued.”

After an afternoon of wagging tails, the fraternity helped raise nearly $200 for the Ability Experience.

You can learn more about The Ability Experience by visiting http://www.theabilityexperience.org or Natchitoches Hope For Paws by visiting: http://www.natchitocheshopeforpaws.org/