Meet Aiden, the School of Design’s facility dog

Which staff member has four legs, a tail, and creates a welcoming environment for all?

It’s Aiden, the new facility dog for the School of Design. Facility dogs are a type of therapy dog that are professionally trained to provide comfort and emotional support to a specific population.

Aiden’s calm demeanor and training from Service Dogs of America make him the perfect addition to the advising team for the school, which is part of the College of Architecture, Arts, and Design.

“Aiden is a highly trained superhero who comes in a fur coat and doesn’t shy away when a gaggle of 20 students surround him to give him love,” said Michelle Flinchum, academic advisor and Aiden’s handler.

Inspired by the positive impact of the Cook Counseling Center’s therapy dogs and a growing need for emotional support, Flinchum applied for a facility dog through Service Dogs of Virginia and was placed with Aiden in January so that he could provide the same kind of assistance for students in the School of Design.

The duo passed the Assistance Dogs International accreditation process this spring, which guarantees their ability to work as a safe team in public settings. Aiden is the first facility dog to work in an academic unit at Virginia Tech.

'Pawfice' hours support students

On workdays, Aiden knows he is on the clock even before they reach Flinchum’s office and his campus digs in 117 Burruss Hall. Whereas most campus employees get to their office quickly and settle down to the tasks at hand, Flinchum allows extra time for the walk from the car to Burruss in anticipation of the many pets and greetings Aiden receives during his commute.

“Just seeing him walk on campus brightens people’s days,” Flinchum said.

Behind the sign on their office reading “Facility Dog Is In,” Aiden waits patiently on his dog bed with his pink ball while Flinchum works at her desk. They take breaks to interact with students or to attend faculty meetings together.

“Our relationship is still growing and forming,” Flinchum said. “Watching what he is doing for students is a beautiful thing, and it makes my job easier.”

Aiden is a hard worker; he knows how to bring a box of tissues to a student who may be having a bad day, and he knows when to put his head on someone’s lap to calm them down. But being a helper can be a hard job, so Aiden gets breaks and “me time,” too. When Flinchum sees that Aiden is tired or getting frustrated, she asks him to perform a familiar task, like fetching a toy, so that he can feel good about himself.

It's the trusting and loving nature of their relationship that makes Flinchum and Aiden a successful team and a key part of the school’s support network for students, faculty, and staff.

“At the School of Design, Aiden the facility dog and his handler Michelle Flinchum create a compassionate hub of support where students feel seen, heard, and cared for,” said school Director Matt Powers. “Michelle’s deep commitment to student well-being — and to Aiden’s own care — embodies our belief that empathy and design are inseparable.”

Perfect conversation starter for well-being checks

When Aiden isn’t sitting in on advising appointments or offering support in moments of vulnerability, he is visiting studio spaces. His job is to open the door to conversations, allowing Flinchum to check in with the students, whether they are her advisees or not.

While students are running their hands through his fur coat or laughing at his “splooty booty,” as fans call his unique sitting posture with legs splayed out to each side, Flinchum engages in some informal advising.

“I’m always looking for that plug, a way to let them know about deadlines and reminders,” Flinchum said. “It also gives me a chance to ask how students are doing personally and how classes are going.”

Aiden fosters the feelings of trust and belonging that are invaluable to building relationships between the advisor and her students, and between students and their classmates.

On the second floor of Burruss, third year interior design students welcomed Aiden into their studio space. Within five seconds of his crossing the threshold, students were forming finger patterns in his fur, and faculty members joined the congregation around the lovable dog.

Excited voices overlapped and smiles spread across faces. Aiden’s mere presence made the space feel more like a community.

For his closing act, he executed his famous “sploot,” and the crowd went wild. “I think that is the funniest and most endearing thing about him: his ‘sploot,’ that way he sits,” Flinchum said.

Although Aiden himself was unable to comment on his love for the job, his wagging tail and big smile said it all. “There is just something special about a dog,” Flinchum said.

By Ashley Falat, a junior communications major