Every day, 1,660 shelter animals are euthanized daily, simply because no one sees them. Animals Unplugged is changing that. Through story, song, and the power of everyday heroes, we’re on a mission to save one million animals by 2030.
We give animals a voice that moves people to act—lowering that 1,660, one life, one story, one hero at a time.
Help us save a million animals by 2030!
Why does Animals Unplugged exist?
Every day, an estimated 1,660 animals are euthanized in U.S. shelters.
By pairing people and rescue animals in our mission, CnG’s SongRoads & Animals Unplugged amplifies healing for both, reducing suffering in our shelters, strengthening community bonds, and offering purpose and meaning through connection. Through shared story, song, and service, we believe we can push that number downward—together.
There is a bridge between loss and hope—and it saves lives on both sides. When someone adopts, supports, or trains a rescue animal, healing flows both ways.
Animals find safety.
People find purpose.
Communities grow stronger.
This is why our mission matters. This is why we sing, speak, and take action!
What do we offer?
We serve as a conduit for animals in need—sharing their untold stories and songs through their own eyes and hearts. Through music, storytelling, and soul-to-soul connection, we inspire people to act with compassion, rekindle their love for all living beings, and join a movement to create a kinder world for animals everywhere.
Our Podcast – Animals Unplugged
We tell the stories of rescue through the voices of those who love them—people whose lives have been transformed by the animals they’ve saved.
Our Songs – CnG's Songroads
We give animals a voice through music. Each song can be personalized to honor a beloved pet who has crossed the Rainbow Bridge, celebrate a rescue, or mark a meaningful event.
Our Storytelling – Keynote Speeches
We bring all the elements of Animals Unplugged together—songs, stories, and even the animals themselves—to deliver powerful, heart-centered messages that move audiences to action.
Who we are
Greg Markelz is a passionate advocate for animals, known for his unique ability to write, produce, and perform songs that give animals a voice through music. His work centers on telling stories from the perspective of animals, translating their experiences, lessons, and unspoken hopes into powerful, engaging stories and songs.
Animals Unplugged Show Founder & Co-Host
Storyteller | Songwriter | Guitarist | Vocalist | Music Producer
Inspirational Keynote Speaker
Greg’s journey into animal advocacy through music began with a song inspired by his rescue dog, Chipotle. When his guitar instructor remarked that Chipotle’s song, the telling of his life story, sounded like an anti-cruelty commercial, Greg recognized something deeper: animals were waiting, and music opened a doorway where their unheard stories could no longer be ignored.
That realization led to the creation of CnG’s SongRoads, a campaign dedicated to supporting animal rescue through story and song. “CnG” stands for Chipotle and Greg, and “SongRoads” reflects the long, meaningful journey they walked together.
When Chipotle crossed the Rainbow Bridge, Greg made a promise to continue that mission. Today, that promise remains clear and unwavering: to help save 1 million animals by 2030, by giving voice to the ones still waiting.
Radio Show Co-Host | Inspirational Keynote Speaker
Mary Erlain has loved animals for as long as she can remember. As a child, she found comfort in neighborhood dogs and began her own journey with pets by caring for birds when her family couldn’t have a dog. That early bond grew into a lifelong devotion to animal welfare.
Over the years, Mary opened her home to rescue cats, creating a haven of safety and warmth. For more than forty years, she has lived in a multi-cat household, each feline adding its own story to her life. Her love for dogs eventually led her to the majestic Great Pyrenees, whose gentle strength and soulful presence captured her heart. She now shares her life with three Pyrs—two with vision in only one eye—each deepening her appreciation for resilience and unconditional love.
Self-employment has given Mary the freedom to care for her animals and champion rescue efforts with intention and heart. With her husband’s steady support and their children now grown, the family often jokes that the pets are their “replacements”—though animals have always been central to the soul of their home. Their presence brings joy, healing, and a sense of wholeness that words can only begin to express.
For Mary, animals are teachers, healers, and lifelong companions. Her home reflects the magic that unfolds when we open our hearts to creatures great and small.
Mary’s Pyr Paws and Kitty Claws
Why we do what we do
If we don’t tell these stories, many of them will never be told. We refuse to let them disappear unheard.
We’ve seen what happens when an animal’s voice is finally heard. How their fear softens, how trust returns, and how a life that was once overlooked becomes a source of healing, connection, and purpose.
We’ve watched people transform too: the moment someone realizes they were chosen by an animal who needed them, the way music opens hearts, and the way storytelling dissolves distance between beings who can’t speak the same language but feel the same emotions.
We believe in reducing suffering wherever we can. Shelters, rescues, families, communities—you step in where the pain is, and you bring light.
Animals deserve a voice. Not a metaphorical one—a real one. Through story, song, and presence, we give them the dignity of being seen.
Stories and songs change hearts. A single story can shift a community. A single song can soften someone who thought they were closed. A single rescued animal can ripple outward into a hundred acts of compassion.
You believe this work is sacred.
It’s not a business model. It’s a calling. It’s the intersection of our gifts—our storytelling, music, empathy, leadership, and lived experiences—and the animals who need us.
Stand with us. Help us lift the stories that change hearts and save lives.