North Dakota

Fans worldwide give over $372K to save North Dakota pet rescue property — and the money keeps coming

Published

2 days ago

January 5, 2025

Fans worldwide give over 2K to save North Dakota pet rescue property — and the money keeps coming

ST. JOHN, N.D. — Keith Benning still can’t really believe it.

When he posted a video plea Dec. 23 to ask supporters of his Turtle Mountain Animal Rescue to donate $300,000 so the organization could buy the rescue’s building and land, he could barely say the number out loud.

Surely, that was an impossible request, he thought. Obviously, this was more than he could hope to raise — especially by the end of January. But it was the bare minimum needed to buy the property before the landlords sold it to someone else.

Without the building, Benning said in the video while cuddling a litter of tiny puppies, the nonprofit would have to close.

But he underestimated the following of this “accidental rescue,” which started 11 years ago when Benning took home two skinny, sickly strays. Today, the Turtle Mountain Animal Rescue has completed over 8,000 rescues, placed pets in 35 U.S. states plus two Canadian provinces and amassed a worldwide social media following of over 600,000.

By New Year’s Eve, over $200,000 in donations had flowed in. By the morning of Jan. 1, the rescue met its $300,000 goal.

Still, the donations kept coming — to the tune of over $372,000 by Friday, Jan. 3.

“I’m shocked, amazed, awed and very appreciative of it,” Benning told The Forum. “The generosity of people in such a small amount of time has been amazing. I’m still nervous because the deal is not done yet, but it puts us in a better place because every dollar we go over is less we have to take out of savings.”

Turtle Mountain Animal Rescue founder Keith Benning poses with resident shop cat, Smokey, in this candid shot. Smokey was rescued from a household where he had to stay outdoors in the winter and now rules the shop, along with another rescue cat.

Contributed / Turtle Mountain Animal Rescue

Benning figures a combination of donations and the rescue’s savings will be needed to buy the rural Rolla, North Dakota, property, which will cost substantially more than $300,000.

Donors can now opt to earmark their gifts for badly needed upgrades and repairs inside the 2,400-square-foot building that houses its operations. “We use a lot of duct tape and zip ties,” he said. “This can go toward building more permanent things.”

Poverty + vet shortage = overpopulation

Turtle Mountain Animal Rescue has come a long way since 2014, when law enforcement officers found two malnourished, mange-riddled dogs in the freezing cold.

Benning, then a Rolette County deputy, volunteered to take them home.

Word quickly spread about the new deputy’s soft spot for homeless animals. His one-bedroom house became a de facto sanctuary for sick, abandoned and unwanted animals. “It kind of exploded,” he said.

Benning learned as he went along. “I really didn’t know anything about rescue,” he said.

But he saw strays were rampant in the remote area. The closest rescue was 118 miles away. The only animal control was a dog catcher, who euthanized all stray animals caught because there were so many of them.

This litter of puppies was rescued from beneath a trailer in the freezing cold and have been transported to Turtle Mountain Animal Rescue’s West Fargo storage/holding facility to await placement in their forever homes.

The area’s isolation, coupled with widespread poverty fueled by a lack of job opportunities and public transportation, led to animal overpopulation. The locals actually already rescued many animals, he said, because so many of them took in these strays as pets. But local vets were scarce and people couldn’t afford veterinary services, so many animals weren’t spayed or neutered.

“Anytime you get a combination of lack of affordable vet care and a situation of higher jobless rate, you’re going to have animal overpopulation,” he said.

Other independent rescuers before him had tried to help but typically burned out within a year. Benning recalls a dispatcher pulling him aside to say, “Hey, you’re a good guy and what you’re trying to do is a good thing. I have lived here for 40 years, and I have seen so many people try, then burn out. Don’t put yourself through it; just accept it for what it is.”

Benning responded by betting the dispatcher a 12-pack of beer that he would build an animal shelter. “I’m not buying him that beer,” Benning says today.

Adds pet food bank, neuter clinics

By 2015, Turtle Mountain Animal Rescue became an official nonprofit. A year later, Benning was able to move the operation into a 40-by-60 building on more than 200 acres of land northwest of Rolla.

After a major cleanup, it was furnished with donations, cast-off equipment and garage sale finds. A 1990 Dodge Ram van with holes in the floor transported animals to and fro.

The 2,400-square-foot facility needed a major overhaul efore Turtle Mountain Animal Rescue could occupy it in 2016, as shown in these “before” and “after” shots.

There was no lease. The out-of-state landlord just wanted someone to live there and keep an eye on the property. But Benning knew the location could be sold at any time.

“Luckily, the owners have been really cool with us,” he said. “But I’ve lived in fear for years that we were going to get a call that said, ‘Ok, we’re going to need you to go.’”

All the while, Turtle Mountain Animal Rescue grew,

adding a network of 150 volunteers,

offering advanced first-aid to animals and rescuing cats and horses as well as dogs. They also bring a Kansas veterinarian to the area four times a year to conduct free spay-and-neuter clinics and partner with the online pet-product company Chewy and the Humane Society to offer a pet food bank when owners need temporary help.

As a contingency plan, the rescue invested in a 30-acre plot of land and started drawing up plans for a new facility. But the process took a long time. They had no experience in proper shelter design until Benning could visit shelter-medicine facilities in Wisconsin and Berkeley, California. It was hard to find contractors to work in the remote area. And numerous efforts to drill well water on the new property failed to find water that wasn’t contaminated.

That means they own a shell of a building on the site, which has no electricity, water or HVAC.

So when the call finally came in December to tell them the rescue’s facility would be sold, Benning knew they were in no position to relocate.

But there was light on the horizon. As soon as Benning’s first video dropped, Turtle Mountain Animal Rescue’s supporters rallied. A special Facebook group, called We Love Turtle Mountain Animal Rescue, was instrumental in spreading the word and generating donations. “They’ve just been working like crazy, and it’s really amazing the kindness and generosity of people,” he said.

Donors stepped up with matching funds. People from as far away as the United Kingdom and Italy watched the video. “The weird thing is the following overseas. We have people that watch the videos in 52 different countries,” he said.

Benning believes Turtle Mountain Animal Rescue fans are attracted to the transparency of the operation. “We don’t just show the good stuff but the bad stuff too. We show a lot of behind-the-scenes and how much work it is,” he said. “I think people appreciate that: being allowed to be let in and see how things work.”

He admits it’s been a tough road and he’s felt burned out many times. “I have wanted to give up, to quit, to go back to having hobbies and free time without the looming dread that I’m failing the animals because I’m only working 14 hours instead of 16 hours.”

But something always arises — a puppy battling mange or an owner who was able to save their dog — to keep him moving forward.

And so it looks like he won’t be buying anyone that 12-pack anytime soon. “That slowly transformed into a saying I came up with: ‘You can’t fail if you don’t quit,’” he said. “So don’t quit.”

Give to Turtle Mountain Animal Rescue at

https://shorturl.at/ZIcC2.

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North Dakota

Live Updates: Montana State vs. North Dakota State In The FCS National Championship

Published

8 hours ago

January 6, 2025

Press Room

Live Updates: Montana State vs. North Dakota State In The FCS National Championship

Stay tuned for all live updates and analysis as North Dakota State takes on Montana State in the FCS National Championship game.

As always, there will be live game notes, analysis, and breakdown of the game as it happens. Keep the refresh button going as updates will be coming in quickly and consistently.

Montana State Quarterback Tommy Mellott / Leroy Fredrick (FCS Football Central)

– Teams are warming up as we get ready to go for kickoff. Kickoff is at 6pm CT.

– It appears to be a sellout here at Toyota Stadium as we near kickoff. It looks to be a slight advantage for Bobcat fans with both fanbases represented well. Great atmosphere here in Frisco.

2024 FCS Championship Game

Montana State and North Dakota State bands set to welcome in their teams. pic.twitter.com/y0SV9SPqV5
— FCS Football (@OptaAnalystFCS) January 6, 2025

Montana State takes the field pic.twitter.com/43JhjKBz5Q
— Sam Herder (@SamHerderFCS) January 6, 2025

– NDSU will receive and we will get started here in Frisco. Cam Miller’s chance first.

– Kickoff goes out of the back of the endzone. NDSU will start on their own 25.

– Cam Miller is on target early and moves the chains with an 8-yard completion

– Bryce Lance gets his first catch with a 14-yard reception and NDSU is in Bobcat territory

– 22 yard catch by Raja Nelson along the sideline and NDSU is in the redzone. Bison are winning at the LOS early

– Touchdown Bison! MSU defense gets a couple stops inside the 5 but can’t keep Cam Miller out on third and goal. The NDSU quarterback dives and gets in the endzone. 7-0 NDSU.

– Cam Miller showing out early. He went 3-3 for 44 yards and added 16 rushing yards and a touchdown on the ground as well. Now its Tommy Mellott’s turn to answer.

BISON STRIKE FIRST 💥@NDSUfootball 7️⃣@MSUBobcats_FB 0️⃣
7:55 remaining in the 1st quarter.#FCStriumvirate 📈 #FCSfootball 🏈 #FCSplayoffs 🏟️ #RoadToFrisco 🛣️ #FCSchampionship 🏆 pic.twitter.com/pVZTYBdykj
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— FCS Triumvirate Poll (@FCSpoll) January 7, 2025

– Scottre Humphrey held to short gains on first and second down. Huge third down play upcoming

– And there goes Tommy Mellott. Mellott gains 19 yards and a first down on a scramble

– Tommy Mellott goes to TE Rohan Jones on 3rd and five and the big TE drops it. NDSU thought they might have a fumble but after a quick conference it was called incomplete. The Bobcats punt and NDSU will take over on their own 8 yard line. Big stop for NDSU after Montana State had encroached on Bison territory.

– On a big third down play Cam Miller goes deep to Bryce Lance. The pass was broken up, but NDSU was bailed out with a pass interference call. 1st and 10 Bison on their own 30 yard line.

– Touchdown NDSU!!! On a huge 3rd and 4 the Bison go empty and Montana State completely left the middle of the field open. Cam Miller saunters 65 yards down the middle of the field and the Bison now lead 14-0.

It’s Miller Time! pic.twitter.com/cpVMCu6VFM
— NDSU Football (@NDSUfootball) January 7, 2025

– Montana State hasn’t faced this kind of adversity since week 1 against FBS New Mexico. The Bobcats did come back and win that game but they likely need a response on this drive to keep themselves in it.

– Cam Miller already has 136 total yards. Statement from the Walter Payton runner-up.

– On the final play of the first quarter, Montana State hands the ball to Adam Jones and barely converts on 3rd and 2. The Bobcats will have the ball 1st and 10 on their own 35-yard line when the 2nd quarter starts. NDSU 14 MSU 0

– Explosive plays are the name of the game right now. NDSU has two plays over 20 yards, while MSU has none. Bobcats need to find a way to open up the offense in the 2nd quarter

– After 2 runs we have another massive 3rd and 2 coming. The Bobcats still haven’t completed a pass.

– Mellott stretches and just gets the first down on a power play. Montana State on the move and in NDSU territory

– Montana State is being held to 4 yards per play. The Bobcats average nearly 7 on the season.

– Third straight third and short conversion as Tommy Mellott evades Bison defenders and gets a first down.

– Montana State is started to find some running lanes after 2 6-yard runs by Adam Jones. 1st and 10 from the 22 yard line

– This time the Bison defense bows up and stops the Bobcats on third and short. An arduous 17-play 11 minute drive only ends in 3 points for Montana State. NDSU 14 MSU 3

– NDSU will take over on their own 24. Massive drive for this game

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North Dakota

North Dakota Plans Homeless Point-in-Time Count for Jan. 22

Published

15 hours ago

January 6, 2025

Press Room

North Dakota Plans Homeless Point-in-Time Count for Jan. 22

(North Dakota Housing Finance Agency image)

(KNOX) – The North Dakota Continuum of Care (ND CoC) will conduct a Point-in-Time (PIT) Count of the people in the state who are experiencing homelessness on Jan. 22, 2025.

“The data collected during the Point-in-Time Count is used to measure homelessness at a local, state and national level,” said Dave Flohr, North Dakota Housing Finance Agency (NDHFA) executive director. “The information helps to identify strengths and service gaps, increase public awareness, measure progress, and assist local entities with system planning and responses.”

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) requires CoCs to conduct an annual count of sheltered people experiencing homelessness. While a count of people who are unsheltered are only required in odd numbered years, the ND CoC conducts one annually as well. Each count is planned, coordinated, and carried out locally.

“To complete the count requires strong regional engagement that is coordinated by an area lead who works with volunteers to collect clean and current data from homeless service providers while law enforcement, healthcare and other providers work to identify persons who are unsheltered,” said Flohr.

To learn more about the PIT Count or to provide assistance, contact your region’s area lead.

The goal of HUD’s CoC Program is to promote a communitywide commitment to the goal of ending homelessness.

The program provides funding to support efforts to end homelessness, promotes access to and effective utilization of programs, and optimizes the self-sufficiency of individuals and families experiencing homelessness.

NDHFA acts as the Collaborative Applicant for the state’s CoC whose geographic area encompasses all 53 of North Dakota’s counties, its cities, towns, and unincorporated areas, as well as the state’s five federally recognized tribes. More information about the ND CoC is available online at https://ndcontinuumofcare.org.

NDHFA is a self-supporting and mission-driven state agency dedicated to making housing affordable for all North Dakotans. The North Dakota Industrial Commission, consisting of Governor Kelly Armstrong as chairman, Agriculture Commissioner Doug Goehring and Attorney General Drew Wrigley, oversees the agency

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North Dakota

NDSU Foundation plans new pregame party in Frisco for Bison fans

Published

23 hours ago

January 6, 2025

Press Room

NDSU Foundation plans new pregame party in Frisco for Bison fans

FRISCO — The party leading up to the Bison’s attempt to win their 10th national title in 14 seasons is a little different this year.

In past years, the NDSU Foundation has hosted a pep fest in the Frisco area.

This year, they are hosting a tailgate party instead.

“Change is good. I think it is going to allow for some more kids and family time,” said Todd Clark, a North Dakota State University fan from West Fargo who is in Frisco for his sixth title game.

“Because it is a night game, I think it makes a lot of sense to get everybody there right before the game instead of 24 hours before that,” former Bison Steve Sershen said.

Fans will take over a soccer field next to Toyota Stadium on Monday, Jan. 6, ahead of the 6 p.m. kickoff. The event at Dr. Pink Field is a free, family-friendly tailgate party that will include games, kids events, a DJ and food and drinks.

The gates open when the tailgate lot opens at 1 p.m. and goes until 4 p.m.

The traditional team walk will take place at 3:15 p.m., right next to the tailgate party.

“The strength of the Herd is the Bison and the strength of the Bison is the Herd, so how do we make sure we do a pregame event that gets everybody together and ready to go into that stadium and absolutely destroy Montana State and make sure everyone is there?” Bethany Hardwig with the NDSU Foundation said of the mindset behind the change in the event.

After the Bison punched their ticket to Frisco, the NDSU Foundation conducted a survey. With the game being on Monday night for the first time, they wanted to know when fans would be in town.

Hardwig said many people would be driving down and arriving Sunday afternoon or early Monday, and the NDSU Foundation wanted an event that those fans could attend.

“That they don’t feel like they missed the thing was really important to us,” she said.

Attendance at pep fests in recent years noticeably declined as Bison Nation spread out across the Frisco area to enjoy their favorite watering holes and restaurants.

“The Bison are a huge part of what we do on that football field, so making sure people are gathered, ready and hyped is our obligation to our team,” Hardwig sad. “Our team has made it this far — Are we ready to yell loud and get them the rest of the way?”

Matt Henson is an Emmy award-winning reporter/photographer/editor for WDAY. Prior to joining WDAY in 2019, Matt was the main anchor at WDAZ in Grand Forks for four years.

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