Malina Shirley

Malina Shirley comes from a family of animal people. On her grandparents farm she raised chickens and their pet pig happily resided in the house with them

As a bush pilot in Alaska, her father met Malina’s mom, who grew up with rescued wildlife; a buzzard, a black bear, and a caribou. Malina’s oldest sister, born in Alaska, gravitated to animal welfare and was intrinsic in teaching Malina the importance of animals and their humane treatment.

Malina joined her sister on the front-lines of working with animals, and her foremost commitment became advocacy for all animal species. To this day, advocacy is her utmost focus and drive.

Early on, Malina began doing wildlife rescue and then became a veterinarian assistant at a local animal hospital. Malina’s skills brought her to training animals for film work, and she has spent many years working hand-in-hand with a number of renown trainers. Malina has also has been involved in important education programs about both domestic and exotic animals.

When not working on-set protecting animals as an APA Consultant, Malina performs Animal transport for the largest rescue organization in the US, as well as other organizations bringing in dogs from difficult circumstances for training, socialization, and adoption into forever-homes. Malina’s passion extends to her time spent on wildlife rehabilitation, so it’s clear her dedication to animals is about “walking the walk” in real life.

In closing, Malina says, “I have been blessed to have throughout my life know the best of the best in the animal world. Not just animal lovers but people who dedicated their lives to animal welfare. It’s not what I do…. it’s who I am!”