YouTuber and Animal Rescue Founder Mikayla Raines Dies by Suicide at 29
Mikayla Raines, the beloved founder of SaveAFox Rescue and a prominent voice in the online animal welfare community, has died by suicide, her husband, Ethan, confirmed in an Instagram video posted on Monday.
Raines, 29, was known for her deep devotion to rescuing captive-born foxes and other animals through her Minnesota-based nonprofit, which she launched at just 20 years old. The organization rescues foxes from fur farms and other harmful situations.
The official mission statement reads, “To rescue and provide forever homes for captive-born, non-releasable wildlife.” To date, the nonprofit has saved more than 150 foxes “from certain death.”
In his video, Ethan described her death as “the biggest loss of my life.”
“She couldn’t bear what she was feeling any longer, and she ended her life,” he said, visibly emotional. He recounted the harrowing experience of attempting to revive his wife, performing CPR for 15 minutes until paramedics arrived.
Their young daughter, Freya, is also grieving the loss. “She’s heartbroken,” Ethan said.
“We have suffered a loss that is unimaginable. Mikayla was truly the most amazing and inspiring individual I have ever known, and not having her here makes everything feel empty. I feel broken.”
Ethan also opened up about the private struggles Mikayla faced, many of which were not visible to the public. Over the years, Raines cultivated a massive online following, amassing more than 2.4 million YouTube subscribers who tuned in for updates on the foxes and other rescues in her care.
“As many of you know, she was on the autism spectrum, and while that made her life very difficult, it allowed her to hyperfocus on one thing, and that one thing was obviously animals,” he said.
“From a young age, she dedicated every waking hour of her life to helping them, whether it was helping a snapping turtle cross the road or saving 500 foxes from a terrible fur farm. She was never in it for fame, money or personal gain. She was truly one of the most selfless people I have ever known.”
That same sensitivity that made her such a compassionate caretaker, Ethan noted, also made her vulnerable to emotional pain. “It was a double-edged sword,” he said.
“On the one hand, it allowed her endless empathy for those in her care. But it also means that she took everything negative to heart.”
Ethan said that in recent years, Mikayla had become the target of an “online bullying campaign,” including harassment from people she had once trusted, such as individuals from within the animal rescue community, some affiliated with other sanctuaries. While she initially tried to persevere through it, the negativity intensified in recent months when even those she considered close friends began to turn on her.
“[Mikayla] felt as if the entire world had turned against her,” Ethan said. “She couldn’t bear what she was feeling any longer. And she ended her life. And it breaks my heart that [someone who] is selfless and devoted her life to animals could have so much negativity pointed at her.”
“To those of you that pushed her to this, every one of you that had been responsible for making her feel this way, I wish you had to feel what she felt. I wish you had to feel what I feel.”
Despite his devastation, Ethan expressed his intention to honor her memory by continuing the work Raines was so passionate about. “But I will continue her dream, and I hope to have your support going forward so that we can do good in her name,” he said.
“Despite this being the biggest loss of my life and feeling like I have a literal hole in my chest, I will not let Mikayla’s light be extinguished, and I won’t let negativity win, and I won’t let her mission fall apart.”
He urged others to pay closer attention to loved ones who may be struggling in silence, to “look for signs” of things worsening and to “do something or say something before it’s too late.” He also encouraged those who feel “lost and hopeless” to reach out for help.
“As long as you guys will continue to support all of us here at SaveAFox, we will keep pushing forward. I’m confident we can bring more light to this world, and we’ll be doing it for Mikayla.”
Moumita Basuroychowdhury is a Contributing Reporter at The National Digest. After earning an economics degree at Cornell University, she moved to NYC to pursue her MFA in creative writing. She enjoys reporting on science, business and culture news. You can reach her at moumita.b@thenationaldigest.com.
