Every weekend in Littleton, Colorado, a pair of 1-year-old miniature potbellied pigs named Pumba and Boris visit seniors living with Alzheimer's.
After being wheeled indoors in a little green wagon, the pigs can take residents by surprise. But after the two start munching happily on carrots supplied by their visitees, smiles fill the room.
"It just takes the first person to warm up—then everyone else is like 'oh ok! I'll try it!'" the pigs' owner, Erin Brinkley-Burgardt, told NBC affiliate KUSA.
Brinkley-Burgardt first started bringing her pigs by the home after Elle Fore, director of Vibrant Living at Highline Place, invited her to come along.
"Animals are pretty magical and it brings out a side of them you don't see in other activities," Fore said.
"My grandfather had dementia in the later years of his life so when Elle asked me to come by, I was definitely interested," Brinkley-Burgardt told KUSA. "It's been a great experience."
