Guest Speakers:
Jessa Edberg -Board Treasurer
Michelle Greener -Board President
Hailey Myre - Executive Director
Hailey leads the organization, Jessa and Michelle have been on the board for about two years. Contented Critters relocated from Makinen to Ely in 2020 and opened operations in 2021.
The mission is to advocate for critters in need. Animals are helped through the rescue spay and neuter program, proper vet care and adoptions. They take in strays, surrenders or emergency intakes. (Please note they are currently not taking in surrenders for the next couple of months per Facebook).
The rescue is located on private property o Highway 1. They don't do walk-ins, but do events and meet ups at businesses in town to help socialize the animals by spending time with people. They have been to the Blueberry Festival,KJ's Hardware, Carefree Living and the Farmer's Market. This benefits those they visit as well as the little critters.
They do nail trims and microchip clinics offering the services for free in the Arrowhead Region including Ely. Vet Techs and Ely Vet Clinic employees often volunteer.
Contented Critters runs a pet food pantry offering support to families who want to keep their pets but have run into difficult financial circumstances. This helps to keep the pets in the home rather than the shelters.
There were 140 adoptions last year. Animals leave fully vetted. The Ely Vet Clinic is an important arm of the rescue with their 24 hour emergency care available. Another location is in Duluth. All animals leave spayed or neutered.
A $25,000 grant allows them to subsidize spaying and neutering to families in need. They will exceed 125 spay/neuters this year. The best way to keep animals out of rescue situations is to spay and neuter them.
Animal rescues are trying to get to the root of displaced or unwanted and euthanized animals in shelters. About one million a year are euthanized. There aren't enough homes and spaying and neutering is the best protection to reduce the population of unwanted pets.
The question is how to continue the work when the grant funds are gone? About 9% of funding comes from adoption fees, 5% from animal control contracts, 75% from donations and 11% from grants. They depend on donations for most of their funding.
The focus for fundraising this year will be to continue the spay/neuter program that serves not only the rescues, but families who have pets but don't always have the means to spay or neuter.
There was discussion about the lack of vets and how most of the volunteers are Vet Techs who are attending the local college Vet Tech Program.Volunteering gives them hands on experience and mentoring with Hailey who encourages them to continue their path because of the need across the country.
The organization's biggest need is fundraising. Their income last year was $210,000 with expenses of $205,000. The Facebook community always helps to meet specified goals for specific animals, but the spaying/neutering program is designed to reduce pets coming into rescue. They hope the response to understand the deeper need is there.
Board members are depended upon to do a lot of work. There are seven board members who help the success of the non-profit organization in their rescue efforts. To help share Facebook posts and the information shared at the meeting today with those you know.
Thank you to Hailey, Jessa and Michelle for visiting with us and sharing their efforts with our members.
For more information:
Respectfully submitted,
Cathy Coombe
.png)
