She gave thousands of voiceless animals a second chance—but when she needed compassion herself, the internet’s cruelty proved unbearable.
Mikayla Raines, a well-known wildlife advocate, YouTube creator, and founder of the animal rescue organization Save A Fox, has died at just 29 years old.
Her husband, Ethan Raines, confirmed the devastating news in a tearful Instagram video shared on June 23, telling followers that Mikayla had passed away “a couple days ago.”
⚠️ This article contains discussion of suicide, which may be upsetting for some readers.
A life devoted to saving animals
Raines’ passion for animal welfare began when she was just 15, volunteering at a wildlife rehabilitation center. In 2017, she went on to establish Save A Fox, which grew into the largest fox rescue in the United States, with facilities in Minnesota and Florida.
Her mission was simple but profound: to rescue and rehabilitate animals—especially foxes—that had been injured, abandoned, or discarded from fur farms. Over the years, she and her team saved hundreds of animals, giving them safe and loving homes.
“She was never in it for fame, money, or recognition,” Ethan said in his video. “From her teenage years onward, she lived every day for the animals—whether it was helping a turtle cross the road or rescuing foxes from a fur farm.”
Her work earned her a massive online following, including more than 2.4 million subscribers on YouTube, half a million Instagram followers, and millions more across TikTok and Facebook.
The toll of online cruelty
While her videos often showed playful moments with foxes, lemurs, and raccoons, Raines was privately struggling. Ethan revealed that she had long battled mental health challenges, including autism, borderline personality disorder, and depression.
In recent years, however, she became the target of an online harassment campaign. Painfully, many of the harshest comments and false rumors came from within the very animal rescue community she was part of.
“She was extremely empathetic, and while that made her an incredible caregiver, it also meant she carried every cruel word deeply,” Ethan explained. “The accusations and name-calling broke her down. She fought for years to push through the hurt, but this time it overwhelmed her.”
A sudden and heartbreaking goodbye
Just one day before her passing, Raines appeared cheerful on Instagram, playing with a lemur while Ethan joked with her on camera.
Tragically, within 24 hours, Ethan found himself performing CPR on his wife. First responders continued the effort, but it was too late.
“She felt as if the entire world had turned against her,” Ethan said through tears. “It breaks me to know that someone who gave so much love and selflessness could have so much negativity aimed at her.”
Carrying on her legacy
Despite his grief, Ethan says he is determined to keep Mikayla’s mission alive. “I will continue her dream,” he promised. “And I hope the community will stand with me so we can honor her by carrying forward the work she cared about so much.”
Mikayla leaves behind not only her husband and a grieving community of animal lovers but also her young daughter, Freya.
Tributes have poured in from across the animal rescue world. The Juniper Wildlife Refuge shared:
“So many in our community have foxes that only came to us because of Mikayla’s dedication and empathy… Her light will live on through every life she touched.”
