The animal rescue world is mourning the tragic loss of Mikayla Raines, founder and executive director of Save A Fox Rescue, who died recently after what her friends and colleagues described as a lifelong struggle with mental illness. She committed suicide after experiencing online harassment. Her passing has left a powerful legacy—and painful questions—rippling through the fox rescue and wildlife rehabilitation communities.
Raines was best known for building Save A Fox, a Minnesota-based sanctuary that became a viral beacon for animal lovers, educating millions through social media about the plight of domestic foxes bred in captivity for the fur industry. With her gentle demeanor, deep knowledge of animal behavior, and charismatic interactions with rescued foxes like Dixie, Finnegan, and Vixie, Mikayla had a gift for storytelling that brought attention to one of the fur industry’s darkest corners.
In 2023, Raines was given an extraordinary opportunity: to shut down a fur farm and rehome 500 foxes. The farmer agreed to give her the animals for free if she purchased the cages, allowing him to offload his investment. For Mikayla, whose life mission was to dismantle the fur trade one fox at a time, this was a chance to deliver a knockout blow.
But even the most passionate rescuer cannot conjure up resources overnight. Despite successfully rehoming hundreds of foxes—many to zoos and licensed sanctuaries—Mikayla was left with dozens more in her care, without the funds or space to properly house them all.
The backlash was swift. Critics questioned the ethics of “buying” foxes from fur farms. Some accused her of hoarding. Rumors and harassment followed her online and, tragically, offline too. Yet those close to her insist her intentions were never in doubt.
“There isn’t a rescuer on this planet who has never made an impulsive decision in a desperate attempt to save lives,” wrote Juniper Russo, Executive Director, For Fox Sake Wildlife Rescue.
Russo wrote. “But I failed Mikayla in my own way… I thought that the criticism and harassment she faced were rolling off her back.”
Like the stresses in veterinary medicine, mental illness, especially in the animal rescue community, remains a quiet epidemic. Emotional burnout, financial stress, and constant exposure to animal suffering are compounded by public scrutiny and, increasingly, online abuse.
“Mikayla passed away in the manner that so many rescuers do,” Russo wrote, “losing a lifelong battle with mental illness.”
One of the people who harassed Mikayla online was a known convicted animal abuser, Russo claims. “When documented animal abusers become your enemy, it’s a sign you’re doing things right,” she wrote, urging the public to verify claims before piling onto people who are already operating on the edge.
Mikayla’s husband Ethan, who worked closely with her at Save A Fox, released a moving video tribute (shared in the comments of Save A Fox’s official page). In it, he celebrates her strength, compassion, and tireless work for the animals she loved. He now faces the challenge of continuing her legacy.
To those who only knew Mikayla through her videos—cuddling a fox, dancing in the snow, bottle-feeding kits—her loss feels deeply personal. Her videos weren’t just adorable distractions: they were calls to conscience.
Donations to Save A Fox can still be made at www.saveafox.org, where Ethan and the team continue to care for the animals Mikayla left behind. And for those in the rescue community or anyone silently struggling with their mental health, Russo offers this reminder:
“Suicidal ideation is a medical symptom and a medical emergency. I am not at all ashamed to say that I have had to be hospitalized for my depression… It saved my life and it can save yours too. Please call 988 or 911 if you are in danger.”
Mikayla Raines dreamed of a world without fur farms and fought every day to get us closer to it. She didn’t just rescue foxes. She taught the world to see them—and maybe, to see each other—with more compassion.
Her legacy will not be defined by her last day, but by the thousands of lives she touched, tails she saved, and hearts she helped awaken. May we honor her by continuing the work, speaking up for the voiceless, and being gentler with the living.
