“Animal rescue is tough,” said Michelle Greener, board president of Contented Critters Animal Rescue in Ely. “There are animals in need everywhere.”
That reality shapes nearly every part of the organization’s work. From cats with complex medical needs to calves rescued from neglect, Contented Critters has become a hub for animal care across northeastern Minnesota. But for Greener, the work is also about building something sustainable: a rescue model that protects not only animals, but the people caring for them.
“Veterinary care work is very hard emotionally. You burn people out really, really quickly. We’re seeing it across veterinary practices, rescues, and shelters. There’s not enough. We’ve really tried to look at setting up practices that are going to be good for staff in the long term,” Greener said. “Not just for us, but maybe for other rescues, as well.”
Contented Critters began in McNair before relocating to Ely after the COVID-19 pandemic. Today, the rescue operates through foster families and a partnership with the Myre family property, where farm sanctuary animals are cared for while the organization works toward a major next step: creating a public-facing rescue facility in Ely.
“Our supporters are looking for a little bit more access,” Greener said. “It’s really hard to adopt a dog when we don’t necessarily have a facility where you can come and meet the dogs or play with the cats.”
The organization is currently working with the City of Ely on purchasing property for a future rescue center. Greener describes the process as complicated but exciting, involving rezoning meetings, fundraising, and long-term planning.
That growth reflects how much the rescue has changed in recent years under Animal Rescue Director Hailey Myre, who also works closely with the Ely Veterinary Clinic. Greener credits Myre, the “fearless leader” of Contented Critters, with reshaping the organization and building strong partnerships within the veterinary community.
Greener arrived at Contented Critters almost accidentally. During the pandemic, her family was isolating to protect her adopted daughter Emma, who has significant medical needs. Greener hoped to find an outlet for her daughter Liv that was compatible with the family’s desire to limit contact with crowds.
Liv began volunteering with the rescue. Before long, Greener was helping transport animals, joining the board, and eventually agreeing, somewhat reluctantly, to serve as president.
“One day it was, ‘Can you join the board?’” Greener said. “Then within a few months it was, ‘Well, we just need a president for one year.’ Well, it’s been three years now.”
She laughs about how quickly the role expanded, but also speaks openly about why she stayed.
“I love what we’re doing,” she said. “I’m passionate about this work.”
That work includes not only cats and dogs, but a growing collection of rescued farm animals at the sanctuary. There is Louis, a steer with neurological issues who was not expected to survive beyond six months. Now several years old, he has become one of the rescue’s most well-known animals.
“You can tell he’s still a little off,” Greener said. “But shockingly, he really is doing well.”
There is also Elmer, another steer rescued while critically ill. Now Elmer is thriving, though still unusually small from the effects of early illness. The sanctuary also houses pigs, goats, and the rescue’s newest arrival, a calf named Henrietta who may have bovine dwarfism.
“We’ll see if we can help her out,” Greener said. “And if not, then we’ll have to make the tough decision to give her some peace.”
Those difficult decisions are a constant part of rescue work. “We’re not in the business of creating suffering,” she said. “Euthanasia is really hard, but I always tell our staff we’re giving them a gift.”
That perspective has shaped the rescue’s broader philosophy around care, burnout, and emotional sustainability.
“If you don’t find small ways to do some self-care, you’ll burn out or break down really fast,” Greener said.
The organization works closely with the Ely Veterinary Clinic, which provides care for rescue animals and partners with Contented Critters on a low-cost spay and neuter program. The clinic also helps support emergency medical cases through what the rescue calls its Angel Fund, which assists families struggling to afford compassionate euthanasia or urgent veterinary care.
“When those come across, if we can fundraise for it, we’ll post on social media,” Greener said. “The money always goes straight to the vet, and we make sure that the animal gets the vet care.”
For Greener, one of the rescue’s biggest priorities is preventing future overpopulation.
“We can’t keep up,” she said. “There aren’t enough homes.”
The rescue encourages people to spay and neuter pets as early as possible, a message Greener jokingly compared to Bob Barker’s longtime signoff on The Price Is Right.
Beyond rescue work itself, Contented Critters has become deeply woven into the Ely community. Staff and volunteers bring animals to Carefree Living, an assisted-living home, for bingo events and therapy visits. Veterinary technician students assist with clinics and gain hands-on experience working with animals and the public.
Despite the challenges, Greener remains deeply proud of the organization and the culture surrounding it.
“We do good work at Contented Critters,” she said. “I’m so grateful to get to be a part of it.”
After a pause, she added the thing that seems to drive nearly everyone involved with the rescue.
“It is tangible,” Greener said. “You feel like you’re really accomplishing something, even though there’s so much more to be done.”
Adoptable animals are featured on the rescue’s website (contentedcrittersmn.org) and Facebook page.
