Melissa Wolf’s clients come in all shapes and sizes. Some have two legs, some have four. All of them need a second chance.
Wolf is the founder of UnChained , a nonprofit in Northern California that pairs vulnerable young people, often living in juvenile correction facilities, with abandoned or abused dogs that have been rescued from shelters. The youth learn to train the dogs in basic skills and better prepare them for adoption. The program’s goal is twofold: decrease juvenile recidivism and save animals’ lives.
“There’s a lot of reciprocity between dogs and humans,” Wolf said. “They experience joy and anger and fear and loneliness. Our kids often share very similar stories to the dogs, and we bring that into our classes.
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Wolf, who worked in social services for decades, noticed a trend in juvenile recidivism where rearrest rates among incarcerated youth can be as high as 75% within three years of release. At the same time, she was volunteering with local animal shelters and rescue groups, trying to keep adoptable animals from being euthanized. “Many of our kids have experienced risk factors that have led them to the lives where they are,” Wolf said.
“A lot of our kids come from maybe childhood trauma, it could be poverty, addiction, incarceration of parents or caregivers.” Wolf says that when young people in her program can understand that they may share a similar story with a dog in need, and help that dog on a path to succ.
