Our Mission
JSCR’s mission is to provide a haven for homeless senior cats to receive the love and care they deserve while living the rest of their days in comfort.
JSCR offers lifesaving and lifelong care for senior cats, as they are often overlooked for adoption, languish in shelters, or are euthanized before their time, simply because of their age. In addition to saving senior cats, JSCR also strives to help as many cats as possible through our outreach programs.
The spark that ignited June’s Senior Cat Rescue.
Our Story
It started with one named Ninety-Nine.
When my mother, June, passed away, she had a senior cat named Ninety-Nine. No one in our family wanted her, so I decided to drive to California to get Ninety-Nine. On the long drive home, I decided that I had to do something to help the senior cats who are left homeless when their owner passes away or becomes too ill to care for them. That’s when June’s Senior Cat Rescue was born. Thanks, Mom, for inspiring me to help the seniors!
~ Janet Phillippsen, Executive Director
Meet the team
Our team is made up of dedicated people who bring their expertise, heart, and energy to everything we do. We all play a vital role in achieving our mission of creating a better future for senior cats.
JSCR Board of Directors
Janet Phillippsen
Executive Director
Janet has been involved in animal rescue since 1991 where she has volunteered for many different rescue groups. When her mother died in 2005, she decided she wanted to help senior cats and in 2013 her dream became a reality when JSCR became a nonprofit. Janet’s ultimate goal is to open a retirement facility for senior cats and to provide a safe place for cat guardians to leave their cats after their death.
Vickie Harvey
Volunteer, Foster and Adoption Coordinator
Vickie has been active in rescue since she moved to California in 2000. While walking her dog, she noticed all the cats and kittens living outside. When she saw a flyer for Alley Cat Guardians, she immediately got involved helping people spay and neuter their cats and find homes for kittens. She became the adoption director for friendly cats and engaged in humanely trapping feral cats to lessen the community cat population. She is excited to join JSCR as a board member and help the Albuquerque animal and human community.
Katie Terra
Board Member
Katie is an animal lover who has supported various animal rescue organizations for most of her adult life. She felt called to join the JSCR Board after her own recent experience of rescuing the cat of a family member who passed away. She always shares her home with several senior cats and dogs, and is so excited to help make a difference for other senior kitties in New Mexico.
Lauren Townsend
Board Member
Lauren is a seasoned marketing and brand development professional with 25 years of experience. Being allergic to cats, she’s used her skills to help drive behind-the-scenes marketing and fundraising efforts for cat organizations including Ohio Alleycat Resource in Cincinnati and now June’s Senior Cat Rescue. Lauren rescued Emma, a 9-month old scared feral cat when she graduated from college. Her dedication and patience were rewarded with a 19-year-old best friend who earned her way into lap pets, snuggles and eventually forever friends. Her experience with Emma and Ernest, her other 19-year-old, helped Lauren realize the role that humans can have in creating a comfortable and rewarding life for senior pets. In her move to New Mexico, Lauren is doing just that — helping make this an option for others with June’s Senior Cat Rescue.
Medical Advisor
Christina Kulage, DVM
Advisor and Honorary Board Member
Dr. Christina Kulage was born and raised in Lubbock, Texas. She attended Texas A&M University for both her undergraduate degree in Biomedical Science and doctorate in Veterinary Medicine. After graduating, she practiced medicine in the Texas Panhandle before transplanting to the Land of Enchantment.
While she strives to be the most well-rounded doctor possible, her true passions are in dentistry and internal medicine. Dr. Kulage believes the single most important aspect to medicine is her client and patient relationships. Her favorite part of practicing medicine is forming strong bonds and supporting pets and their owners through all stages of life. She shares her “habitat” with her husband Zak and four furry critters. She enjoys traveling to as many places as possible, skiing, scuba diving, and is always down for a good winery.