Lina is a Miami native and an avid animal lover and nature enthusiast. She grew up with many dogs and her one beloved cat, who lived to be 16 years old! All her life, she has loved to play with and care for her pets. Her life’s dream was always to work with animals, and joining the Equipaws team feels like a dream come true!
During her time in high school, she volunteered as a vet tech in a local veterinarian’s office. She got to learn and experience a lot in the way of pet care and pet emergencies while there.
After high school, Lina joined the United States Air Force, where she served 6 years as a linguist. After her time in service, she decided to go back to school for her Bachelor’s in Geographical Sciences with a Sustainability minor from the University of Maryland (Go Terps!). She then completed a Master’s in Climate and Society from Columbia University’s Climate School in New York City.
During her time in service and her studies, Lina was accompanied by her best friend Paladin. This Border Collie – German Shepard mix taught her so much about animal behavior, training, enrichment, and care. She is now a cat mom to a sweet little Tuxedo cat named Luna.
In her downtime, Lina can be found outdoors, either biking, kayaking, fishing, camping, or hiking. She also enjoys doing pottery and reading a good book.
