This Mini Pig Helps Fight Homelessness
Pets help people in all sorts of ways. They provide love and companionship. They can be trained to do all sorts of tricks and tasks. Just being around an animal can help people feel more comfortable and calmer.
Dogs are among the most common service pets trained to assist people. But one woman in Washington DC found a less common animal to help people experiencing homelessness, The Times of India shares. Ami M. Angell, the founder of the h3 Project, a group that combats homelessness and human trafficking, makes her rounds accompanied by a cute and affectionate mini pig named Synergy.
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The h3 Project
Angell founded the h3 Project in 2020, with the name representing home, health, and happiness. The organization operates out of Washington DC’s Union Station, which sees roughly 100,000 people pass through each day. Some are commuters, while others rely on the hub because they have nowhere else to go. It provides critical support by helping people obtain vital documents and housing and distributing overdose-reversal medication.
“Just as an example, in last year, 2025, we had over 500 vital documents ordered, which is Social Security cards, IDs, birth certificates, all necessary for housing — resulting in 93 housing matches,” Angell tells NBC4 Washington. “We had 217 opioid overdose reversals, and we reunited 118 individuals with support systems.”
A New Kind of Helper
To assist in its mission, Angell’s organization works with an unexpected friend, a Juliana mini pig named Synergy, who helps Angell connect with people facing crises.
“I am always trying to think: What outside-the-box method could we employ to maybe get to that person? So a pig. A lot of individuals around here have never seen one, let alone touched one,” Angell explains.
“When I walk up to an individual with her and they see her, they’re surprised,” she says. “… People are so caught off guard. But you just see all those barriers just come down as they want to engage.”
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Synergy Creates Connections
The Times of India explains that after arriving in March, Synergy is already making a meaningful impact. One woman in her 60s, whom Angell had worked with for seven years, finally agreed to case management after interacting with Synergy.
“She’s not rude or anything. She just wasn’t ready,” Angell says about the woman. “Now she wants to work with me. As long as the pig is right there, she will answer my questions; she will do the work with me. She’s moving forward because of Synergy,” she adds.
At Washington DC’s Union Station, Synergy’s friendly presence helps break down barriers, build trust, and open the door to support. Together with Synergy, Angell and the h3 Project are showing how unexpected connections can help people. The initiative shows the power of thinking outside the box and how an unlikely animal can change a person’s life.
