Genae Bene is our resident “cat whisperer” and has a passion for helping with feline behavioral issues and facilitating the smooth transition of adult cats into their new homes. Genae works in Corporate Banking for TD Bank and uses her experience in finance to oversee the budget, fundraising, and spending of the rescue. Genae originally founded Pittie Party Rescue as a dog rescue for Pitbull/Bully breeds in 2015. In 2017, Genae realized that there was a greater need in New Jersey for cat rescue when she discovered an unmanaged colony of cats living in her apartment complex.

Angela Diekhaus is an animal welfare professional with a passion for shelter medicine and neonatal kitten health. She has a strong background in kitten and cat health, as well as removing barriers to adoption and making the joys of pet parenthood accessible to all. Currently, Angela is the Administrative Coordinator / Veterinary Technician for The Spay & Neuter Center of New Jersey and manages a relationship with TNR organizations across the state to support humane population control in the community. Angela oversees the daily operations of the entire organization, with a special interest in the physical health of our cats and the mental health of our volunteers and fosters. 

Hala works as a scientist for Bristol Myers Squibb's cell therapy division and is a passionate animal lover who uses her exceptional organizational skills to ensure that our rescue runs smoothly day in and day out. She started fostering for us during the COVID-19 lock down of 2020 and was immediately hooked. She now works tirelessly behind the scenes to create and maintain efficient processes for everything from paperwork and record-keeping to website maintenance. Although she loves her admin duties, her favorite job is still fostering kittens and she has currently fostered over 100 since she first joined the rescue!

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In 2018, Maureen embarked on her journey with Pittie Party Rescue as a devoted volunteer. Her passion and dedication soon led her to assume the role of habitat coordinator, and since 2020, she has now served as our Medical Records Director. With fondness for cats, she not only cares for three of her own but has also fostered a handful of young kittens. Maureen earned her bachelor's degree in Biology and Animal Science from Rutgers University in 2021, and she is currently pursuing her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) at the Royal Veterinary College in England. . Her favorite part of volunteering for Pittie Party Rescue is seeing the positive impact on both the community and the cats who inhabit it. She relishes the opportunity to educate others to ensure their cats lead long and fulfilling lives.

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During an interview when Crystal was asked what she’d be doing if she had to choose an alternate path, she abruptly responded, “raising pregnant cats.” Crystal’s vision came to life in 2020, when she was presented with a feral mom who gave birth to 5 premature kittens! It was quite an adventure, and Crystal has been busy fostering since, with a total of nearly 100 cats who have gone through her care. As her day job, Crystal is a School Counselor, where she runs the animal club, teaching kids about responsible pet care. Crystal has a passion for helping new volunteers get acclimated, and she loves to promote fostering, which she believes to be the most rewarding experience in the world!

Kathleen joined Pittie Party Rescue in 2021 after a long career of leadership positions in public housing, social services for people with disabilities, and Medicare counseling for seniors. After retiring she began researching local volunteer opportunities she could put her skills to use. Luckily she found our PetSmart Adoption Center. Although she started as a volunteer, Kathleen quickly took on more responsibility. As our Volunteer Coordinator she is responsible for staffing the center, and training new volunteers. Although Kathleen can't have a cat due to her husbands allergies she still gets her "feline fix" from cuddling with our Adoption Center kitties.

Hailey’s first encounter with Pittie Party Rescue was back in 2020 as a college student, when she was trying to find a home for the friendly stray cats in the neighborhood. Although her classes kept her too busy to volunteer she knew she wanted to return when she could. Soon after graduation Hailey reached out to Pittie Party Rescue again to start volunteering! Currently, she manages email communications with potential adopters and coordinates Adoption Day appointments. At work, Hailey is a psychiatric-pediatric pharmacist where she collaborates with healthcare professionals to provide safe and efficient medication therapy.

Michele joined us as a volunteer in 2021 when Pittie Party Rescue moved into our new location at the PetSmart in North Brunswick after seeing an Instagram ad looking for volunteers to socialize kittens. In addition to volunteering at PetSmart which she still does, Michele now processes applications for prospective adopters. Thanks to her strong organizational skills she is able to ensure that our application processing runs smoothly and in a timely manner. Outside of her rescue work Michele enjoys spending time with her three cats and family and is a certified group exercise instructor teaching out of her home, online and with Edison Recreation.

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