Fox rescue activist and popular YouTuber Mikayla Raines dies by suicide, husband announces

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Fox rescue activist and popular YouTuber Mikayla Raines dies by suicide, husband announces originally appeared on Bring Me The News.
Mikayla Raines, the founder of Minnesota-based Save a Fox Rescue who built a huge following on YouTube and social media through her activism, has died by suicide.
Her death was confirmed by her husband Ethan in an emotional post to Save a Fox Rescue's social pages, as he reveals she took her own life as she struggled to cope with harassment, some of which shared online.
She is survived by Ethan and their daughter, Freya. Fighting through tears during the 11-minute video, Ethan says his wife was open about her struggles with autism, depression, and borderline personality disorder, and while this helped her hyper-fixate on her relentless efforts to rescue foxes and other animals, it also made her more susceptible to abuse.
"She was so sensitive to everything, which is a double-edged sword because on one hand it allowed her endless empathy for those in her care, but it also means that she took everything negative to heart," he says.
He then proceeds to address "how words whether spoken in person or written online can affect someone," specifically referring to a group of people who have been "throwing dirt on Mikayla's name and the rescue" for a few years, saying they "consistently spread ridiculous claims and rumors."
"Being the sensitive human that she was, Mikayla took it all to heart, and it hurt her a lot, but she pushed through for years. She pushed through the pain of people trying to bring her down and the mental challenges she faced and she still rescued hundreds of animals and changed the lives of so many," Ethan continues.
"But recently more of the rude words accusations and name calling came from some of those she considered close friends. I think all of this stems from jealousy and envy, but she felt as if the entire world had turned against her. She had always battled with borderline personality disorder causing emotional instability as well as impulsive behaviors, but this time it went too far.
"She couldn't bear what she was feeling any longer and she ended her life."
Raines was featured by Bring Me The News in 2018, during the formative years of her fox activism when she was based in Lakeville. She founded the nonprofit Save a Fox Rescue in 2019, with its rescue and rehabilitation center now based in Faribault.
Over the years, Raines' efforts have contributed to the rescue of thousands of foxes and other animals from fur farms. It also made her a viral star, with Save a Fox accumulating more than 2.4 million followers on YouTube, 1.5 million on Facebook and 550,000 on Instagram.
Ethan says that her performed CPR for 15 minutes on Raines until first responders arrived, and says he wishes those who directed negativity towards her could see the heartbreak they have caused.
"I wish you understood what you were doing before you did it before it had to go this far, and I wish you understood that words do have real and terrible consequences.
"If you only have negative garbage to say just shut up, and if you are feeling lost and hopeless please reach out to someone, whether it's friends and family or calling a hotline and to everyone else please."
Ethan says that he will endeavor to continue Raines' work at Save a Fox.
"From a young age she dedicated every waking moment 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 truly one of the most selfless people I have ever known," he said.
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This story was originally reported by Bring Me The News on Jun 24, 2025, where it first appeared.