Adrianna (she/her) is a lifelong New Yorker, raised in the Bronx. She has always been a fierce advocate for animals and began volunteering full-time for a local foster-based cat rescue when she was just 15 years old.

Prior to PAWS NY, Adrianna spent the past five years working at the Veterinary Forensic Sciences Center at the ASPCA (a Partner of PAWS NY), where she assisted law enforcement in their investigations of animal cruelty cases. As she tackled the unique challenges of the industry from as many angles as possible, Adrianna’s area of focus shifted towards preserving the human-animal bond. With previous training as a victim advocate and crisis counselor, her research became centered around the link between human interpersonal violence and animal cruelty. Adrianna realized her truest passion was tending to the human needs that arise in the relationship between humans and animals.

Adrianna is currently a graduate student obtaining her Master of Social Work degree with a concurrent Veterinary Social Work certification from the University of Tennessee Knoxville’s online program. She is also a member of the International Association of Veterinary Social Work and previously obtained her Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from CUNY Hunter College.

Adrianna currently resides in Brooklyn with her disabled, therapy-dog-in-training pit bull named Pringlez. You can follow their journey to spread radical joy and laughs over on Tiktok: @pringy_thelilchip.