Fox rescue activist and YouTube star Mikayla Raines has died at the age of 29. Her husband, Ethan, confirmed the sad news in an emotional video posted on Instagram on Monday, June 23. The founder of Save a Fox died by suicide a couple of days before the announcement.
According to People, Ethan shared that he had to perform CPR on his wife for 15 minutes until first responders arrived. Paramedics also tried to revive her, but their efforts were not successful. The loss has left her family devastated, including her daughter Freya, who Ethan described as heartbroken by her mother’s death.
“She couldn’t bear what she was feeling any longer, and she ended her life,” Ethan said in the Instagram video. He called her death “the biggest loss of my life” and described feeling broken without her. Ethan wrote that Mikayla was “truly the most amazing and inspiring individual I have ever known, and not having her here makes everything feel empty.”
Online bullying campaign took toll on activist’s mental health
Mikayla founded her Minnesota-based non-profit organization in 2017 when she was just 20 years old. Over the years, she built a massive following on YouTube, gaining over 2.4 million subscribers who watched her rescue and care for foxes and other animals. Ethan described her as “one of the most selfless people I have ever known” because of her dedication to helping animals.
However, Mikayla faced several challenges in her private life. Ethan explained that she was on the autism spectrum, which made her life very difficult but also allowed her to focus intensely on her animal rescue work, highlighting how people on the autism spectrum experience the world differently. He said she was “so sensitive to everything,” which was both a strength and a weakness. While this sensitivity gave her endless empathy for the animals in her care, it also meant she took negative comments very personally.
In recent years, Mikayla and her animal rescue organization became the target of what Ethan called an ‘online bullying campaign,’ similar to other influencers who have faced harassment accusations. He said the harassment came from people she knew, “close friends,” including workers at other animal sanctuaries. The situation became much worse in recent months when people she considered her close friends” started joining in the attacks. Ethan said this made Mikayla feel “as if the entire world had turned against her.”
Ethan ended his video with a message for others who might be struggling. He urged people who feel “lost and hopeless” to reach out to someone for help. He also asked people to look out for their loved ones and watch for warning signs before it’s too late. Despite his grief, Ethan promised to continue Mikayla’s work and keep her dream of saving foxes and other animals alive in her name.
Published: Jun 24, 2025 12:04 pm