Nonprofits celebrating the ‘canine-human connection’ see continued growth.

“As a teacher, you need to be patient and understanding and not give up on your students. As a leader, you have to give off the energy your followers need to move forward.”

This wisdom comes not from a LinkedIn influencer or an educator upon their retirement. Instead, these insights come from Christian, a member of the UnChained Canines Teaching Compassion (CTC) program.

Two nonprofits working in Monterey County match people who have experienced trauma with dogs in need, celebrating the diverse and enduring impact of man’s best friend.

Christian trained Rosco and Van with UnChained, a Soquel-based nonprofit teaching youth to train homeless dogs in basic skills and manners. Since 2011, the nonprofit has paired nearly 400 kids with 200 dogs.

“Rarely do our kids get asked to help somebody in need,” says Melissa Wolf, founder and board president of UnChained. “Training, socializing and helping to place these dogs into adoptive homes is an attainable goal that helps our kids believe in their value to their community.”

UnChained matches youth between 11 and 25 in Monterey and Santa Cruz counties with puppies and dogs, where they work in teams of two with an adult coach. The organization partners with other nonprofits such as Rancho Cielo, Kinship Center and Monterey County Probation. The young trainers have often experienced violence, poverty or drug addiction.

“UnChained students understand the plight of their program dog, because they too may have lived behind bars or been neglected by a caregiver,” Wolf says.

After every eight-week training program, the public can participate in the trainers’ success at UnChained’s graduation ceremony. Youth trainers display their dog’s achievements and skills and talk with prospective adopters, providing a meaningful full-circle moment.

While dog obedience is the task and pet adoption is the goal, Wolf says the benefits of CTC reach far deeper.

“While training and socializing is extremely beneficial to improving the dogs’ chances for adoption, training dogs is primarily used as a vehicle for our youth to see their own capacity for kindness, compassion, patience, respect and responsibility for themselves and others,” Wolf says. “Dogs give honest feedback that can support personal growth and self-reflection in our students.”

These meaningful benefits also inspired Veterans Transition Center (VTC) to build a new dog program of their own. The Stripes and Paws program is a fresh idea for the 28-year-old organization, which provides housing and resources to veterans to help build self-sufficiency.

“It’s very exciting to work toward this goal,” says Mike Stull, chief operating officer at VTC. “We’re combining many things we wish to provide to our veterans (with this initiative).”

This new initiative, approved by the VTC board on March 20, envisions a comprehensive dog program where veterans provide several pet services to the community. Stull describes a “three-phase idea,” eventually providing dog training, grooming and a 16-kennel boarding facility on four acres of VTC’s headquarters in Marina. 

VTC is one of the few veterans nonprofits in the United States that welcomes pets, even though the organization is not compensated for any extra family members, Stull says.

“Pets can be a major source of comfort for the veteran,” he says. “When we don’t break up that unit, the veteran has a much higher chance of achieving self-sufficiency.”

The goals for this program include generating revenue for VTC and providing long-term employment for veterans. But Stull also emphasizes the importance of the “canine-human connection.” 

“Canine therapy is extremely powerful,” he says. “(Dogs can) reduce suicidal tendencies and provide a sense of accomplishment. Both are working to support each other.”

As VTC begins to fundraise toward its $350,000 goal to build the initial facility, UnChained is experiencing high demand.

“We currently have more requests for programming by youth organizations than we can fulfill,” Wolf says. “As we increase our funding, we will have the capacity to hire more staff to meet the needs of more youth. We want to say ‘yes’ more.”