This 'crisis intervention therapy pig' is helping DC's homeless: 'We have to think outside the box'

The H3 Project, a DC-based nonprofit that assisted 234 people with benefits applications and 93 housing matches in 2025, deployed a 5-pound miniature pig named Synergy as a crisis de-escalation and engagement tool in March 2026; workers report the animal has already helped break down barriers with resistant clients, including a woman resistant to case management for seven years who now engages when Synergy is present.