Creighton is going to the dogs. At least that is how it appeared last week.

Last Thursday, the Skutt Student Center was filled with canines as well as students who got some puppy love in.

The dog invasion was a part of Beta Theta Pi fraternity’s ‘Puppy Sit’ philanthropy. All shapes and sizes of dogs were represented by Midlands Pet Therapy, a volunteer organization located in Omaha. Students could also buy bags of puppy chow, with the proceeds going to Beta Theta Pi’s philanthropy partner, Completely Kids.

The fraternity, in its second year on campus, has decided to work with a community partner that mimics their pattern of growth. Completely Kids, formerly Campfire USA, is an after school-tutoring program. Completely Kids is a nonprofit based in Omaha. It is an after school program that reaches out to more than 2,000 kids and families. They offer many programs that educate across many spectrums of life, including nutrition, academics and family.

Business junior Michael Weber is the vice president of programming for Beta Theta Pi.

“[Completely Kids], like Beta, is still growing,” Weber said. “We are growing just as much as they are.”

This philanthropy was Beta Theta Pi’s first of the year. It not only provided delicious puppy chow to students for a small fee, but it also gave them a chance to de-stress with the visits of the dogs from Midlands Pet Therapy.

The Midlands Pet Therapy can be frequently seen on the Creighton campus. This visit was in conjunction with Welcome to Skutt week. The group takes various breeds to visits all over the city, including libraries and assisted living homes.

Jasper, a seven-year-old black-and-white sheltie, has been making the rounds for seven years with his owner, Netta. The experience is as rewarding for the volunteers as it is for the people they touch.

“It’s a very rewarding thing,” Netta said. “There’s been days and times when I don’t feel like going, but I do. Those are usually the nights that someone is so overwhelmingly thankful to have us here.”

The therapy dogs frequently bring smiles to Creighton’s campus, and the work they and Beta Theta Pi did at this event really paid off. Margaret Zimmer, the assistant director of Greek Life at Creighton, seemed impressed with the event.

“It’s going really well,” Zimmer said. “We try things out and see how it goes, but Beta has been doing great with their philanthropies.”

Weber said that the philanthropy was a success.

“We are hoping to get more information out [about Completely kids] … tonight,” Weber said. “This is identity-searching time [for Beta].”

The puppy chow, the human version, was handmade by Beta Theta Pi members. According to Weber, it was quite an endeavor.

“It was myself and four other members,” Weber said. “It took us from 8 p.m. to 2 a.m.,”

When combining a tasty treat for students as well as a chance to pet and play with dogs, there was no doubt that this would be an event many would attend. All the effort put into the chow making was only a small part of the success of the philanthropy.