UnChained
UNLEASHING HUMAN POTENTIAL,
ONE DOG AT A TIME.
Our Mission: To foster empathy, respect, and responsibility in youth through the human-animal bond.
Hidden in plain sight all along California’s iconic Central Coast, young people are pulled into cycles of poverty, violence, and incarceration long before they get a real chance. In Monterey County alone, over 16% of public school students have experienced homelessness, often living doubled-up in garages, shelters, or motels. At the same time, dogs are discarded into overcrowded shelters—labeled as “problems” when fear and neglect are all they’ve known.
UnChained was born from this shared crisis.
For more than a decade, our Canines Teaching Compassion program has shown what’s possible: youth and dogs learning side by side, proving that patience, safety, and trust can be built from what can seem like nothing. This is the foundation for our existence — and it’s why we keep building, so that every young person and every dog has a real shot at healing, dignity, and a future.
“These dogs are like us — they need a second chance.”
The voices of our students are raw and sincere: youth reflecting on what it feels like to be trusted with responsibility, and dogs showing what’s possible when fear gives way to safety. Every moment is proof that healing can begin in small steps — unlocking life skills for both human and dog to reintegrate into our community and build a better future together.
For more than a decade, our Canines Teaching Compassion program has shown what’s possible.
Not by fixing anyone, but by pairing survivors — youth and dogs — so they can learn to believe in themselves and each other.
When young people gain patience, confidence, and empathy, they return to their families and neighborhoods with new tools for stability and growth. When dogs find safe, permanent homes, they bring joy and connection into households across our Central Coast community.
This is why we exist: because putting youth and dogs first creates a stronger and more compassionate world for us all.
About Us
Our story and foundation — how Canines Teaching Compassion shaped UnChained, and why we continue building programs that heal both youth and dogs.
Learn more
Jobs
We’re seeking a Mental Health Facilitator to join our team and help guide UnChained's newest program at Monterey County Juvenile Hall in Salinas, CA.
See openings
Adopt
Meet the dogs who've graduated from our CTC program and are ready for their forever homes — each carrying the trust and love their youth trainers showed them.
Find a companionFOLLOW US ON INSTAGRAM
MAKE A DONATION
Support UnChained by making a simple donation or celebrate a beloved pet, person or event with a special in-honor donation to create new opportunities for our community’s youth and the dogs they train.