RMU puppy yoga fundraiser blends student engagement and animal welfare

Robert Morris University’s PRSSA chapter turned John Jay gymnasium into a tightly run puppy yoga fundraiser, pairing four short classes with a low $10 entry fee and a direct benefit for Beaver County Humane Society. Held in collaboration with RMU Campus Rec, Paws and Poses ran Saturday, April 18, with 35 participants allowed in each class, a setup that kept the event small enough to manage and large enough to feel like a campus-wide draw.

The structure was the key to its appeal. By splitting the afternoon into four classes from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., the organizers gave students a simple choice: sign up for a single session, show up on time, and spend an hour in a controlled, upbeat environment. Check-in at the front and a photo backdrop inside the gym added order without killing the atmosphere, while the limited class size prevented the room from feeling crowded. That mix of movement, novelty, and clear flow is exactly what makes puppy yoga work in a university setting.

The charitable partner gave the event more weight than a one-off wellness activity. Beaver County Humane Society says it is the only animal shelter serving Beaver County and surrounding counties in Ohio and West Virginia. The nonprofit has operated since 1950 and admits more than 4,000 animals annually. It also says it relies on donations rather than regional, state, or federal funding, which means even a modest campus fundraiser can matter when the proceeds are directed straight to shelter care.

That connection also fit the mission of RMU’s PRSSA chapter. Robert Morris University says the chapter is open to communication and marketing majors and focuses on career-building, networking, and community involvement, and Paws and Poses folded all three into one event. Students were not just attending puppy yoga; they were helping produce a public-facing fundraiser with a clear partner, a simple price point, and a built-in shareable setting.

For schools looking to duplicate the formula, RMU’s version offers a practical blueprint: keep the classes short, cap the crowd, use a familiar campus space, and tie the event to a local rescue with a concrete need. The result is a fundraiser that feels accessible to students while still delivering real value to the shelter.