UnChained

CNN Heroes 2024

Melissa Wolf is helping two overlooked populations survive – and thrive. She founded UnChained, a nonprofit that helps young people and dogs who need a second chance. She pairs at-risk youth participants with abandoned dogs and works with teachers, professional dog trainers, and mental health specialists inside juvenile detention centers and schools to help nurture empathy, respect, and responsibility through the human-animal bond. She has worked with more than 450 young people whose dog training skills have helped more than 220 dogs find forever homes.