this post was submitted on 24 Jun 2025
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Raines created a successful YouTube channel dedicated to her advocacy efforts rescuing foxes from fur farms.

Animal rescue activist and YouTube star Mikayla Raines has died by suicide, according to her husband. She was 29.

Ethan Raines announced her death in an emotional video he posted to her YouTube channel on Monday.

He said that for years his wife suffered from various mental health issues and struggled to cope with online criticism.

"She couldn’t bear what she was feeling any longer, and she ended her life," he said. "And it breaks my heart that someone who is selfless and devoted her life to animals could have so much negativity pointed at her."

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[–] [email protected] 22 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Holy fuck, I loved SaveAFox, what the hell is wrong with people 😭🤮

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 day ago (1 children)

I don't understand why anyone would be mad that someone was saving foxes from becoming pelts.

Unless you're the piece of shit profiting from the suffering and death of those animals, in which case, your opinion is null and void, nobody should be against the idea IMO.

It's incredible to me that anyone would carry such vitriol against such a noble cause.

May she rest in peace.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 day ago

On any online forum, there are people who just like to stir the shit: doxxing, swatting, death threats, you name it. Most platforms have reduced their efforts to keep those slimebags at bay, and this is the result.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 day ago (2 children)

Genuine question: apart from the people who would profit from the activities she was fighting against, or the would-be patrons of such a business.... Why would anyone carry hate for what she was trying to accomplish?

I know there's a whole religious argument, which I find to be wretched at the foundation; just because you 'have dominion' over creatures does not imply that it's ok to torture them and/or kill them for their fur unnecessarily....

Anything else? I just can't think of anything.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 day ago

I don’t really know any details about how stuff worked beyond just saving foxes, but my random guess would be people calling it woke and attacking that, there are many people who think things involved with helping the environment and things related to that is bad. It seems like anything considered remotely “woke” is attacked because of rhetoric coming from the right wing.

It seems to be related to fur and there are people who dislike the idea of losing access to animal products like fur coats and leather goods, that is likely related.

[–] Rekorse 2 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Mainly the same criticism of famous social media influencers who are not qualified or experts in the thing they are doing. Being passionate about something doesnt make everything you do the right thing. All that said, I don't agree that should cause hate, but criticism or opposing opinions were fair in this situation when it comes down to animal welfare.

Not the ending any reasonable person would want I would hope.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 day ago

That's a fair point. I would argue that critique and constructive criticism should not be presented in a way that is, in and of itself.... Mean (to put it simply).

There's a lot of ways to do the wrong thing with the best intentions.

[–] [email protected] 9 points 1 day ago (2 children)

I remember watching some fox channels with a lot of rescue foxes including one called Finnegan. Was that her? So sad that anyone would harass somebody like that.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Yes, that was her channel.

[–] TriflingToad 3 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

NOOOOO :(((( I am heartbroken:(((
poor fennigan and Dixie :(((

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 day ago

Hers was SaveAFox

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 day ago

Those posters should be identified and held accountable. Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back style maybe. What a horrendous situation.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 day ago (2 children)

Perhaps someone prone to depression and suicidal ideation might be well advised not to choose a highly visible public career where one is constantly exposed to the rantings of evil trolls.

This isn't victim-blaming, it's just an acknowledgement that the world as it currently is, is full of toxic backwaters that should be avoided.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 day ago

Shut the fuck up, this is absolutely victim blaming. "Maybe she should've just wallowed in her depression quietly instead of trying to show others what it's like to help and advocate for helpless wild animals."

[–] [email protected] 7 points 1 day ago (1 children)

That still sounds like victim blaming to me? Yes, there are a ton of shit people in the world, but I feel like rather than "she shouldn't have taken up that career", we should instead be fighting back against the idea that people are allowed to be this shitty:

  • What's up with these people that they give out so much abuse?
  • Did YouTube and other sites do anything to protect her?
  • What else can we do to protect vulnerable people from abuse while letting them do their job?
  • What support did she get? Could she have had more?
  • How can we prevent this from happening to the next content creator?

I don't know the answer to these, but just saying 'she shouldn't have started in the first place' feels like a massive cop out to me.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 day ago

Depressed people are told to get out and touch grass and do something good for the world, some go and do that and then get attacked and bullied for doing something good in the world. Then someone says well they shouldn’t have done this or not. IMO I would agree its victim blaming. Mental health systems suck in many countries where people rarely get the help they need and then people online bring cruel and inhumane because they can hide behind a screen.

[–] [email protected] 55 points 2 days ago (3 children)

I would also like to add another perspective.

I think its important to bear in mind that there are plenty of examples of animal rights and environmental organisations that have been the target of harrasment campaigns bankrolled by corporate and political interests.

I'm not suggesting this is what happened here. I think we have to scrutinize any possible conspiracy -- I really want to make that clear. If you look through the other comments, there's a lot to delve through here.

But I would suggest bearing in mind that smear campaigns aimed at cultivating a kind of political nihilism is something that does happen.

The best you can do, if you care about these causes, is to continue to support them in whatever ways you can.

In my opinion, all animals deserve a hell of a lot better than this.

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[–] [email protected] 65 points 2 days ago (5 children)

As a long time SaveAFox fan, Mikayla's death is crushing. This is a woman that deeply deeply cared for animals selflessly her entire life.

The internet has no shame and has become a truly abhorrent place.

[–] [email protected] 37 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago) (8 children)

It was reddit. Reddit is dead center of this.

Edit: its amazing how being correctly identifying reddit as the culprit is downvoted on lemmy when its clear most of us are here because reddit sucks a skunks ass.

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[–] [email protected] 37 points 2 days ago

No, this was the SaveAFox person... This is like hearing if The Girl With The Dogs were to suddenly die tomorrow. I'm not sure I could handle so much good leaving the world so quickly.

They had been posting fundraising updates on their YouTube for the last couple weeks. I hope they can keep it going.

[–] [email protected] 68 points 2 days ago (25 children)

Why the fuck would you harass someone for saving foxes? Is it because she's a woman?

[–] [email protected] 27 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago) (5 children)

God gave us dominion over all creatures read the Bible!

There are children dying in the streets here, why don't you do anything about them?

The foxes bread for fur here are not capable of living in the wild, "rescuing" and releasing them is the real animal abuse.

I think fox fur is fancy, fuck you lady!

Just some examples I can think of off the top of my head. People can get pretty polarized when it comes to killing, or not killing animals.

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[–] [email protected] 37 points 2 days ago (24 children)

I believe she had BPD as well, which in itself often gets you targeted harassment online while also making you extremely sensitive to said harassment.

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[–] [email protected] 36 points 2 days ago

As a long time supporter of SaveAFox, it's hard to really even process this. I am sure being an online personality to try and fundraise isn't easy, but never did I dream that there was such a degree of hate lobbed at Mikayla that she'd decide to end her own life. Someone so kind and devoted to the lives of creatures who are constantly exploited and cannot save themselves. It's just despicable, and all I can really hope for is that Mikayla's mission continues on in spite of such significant loss.

[–] [email protected] 201 points 3 days ago (7 children)

How hollow that must feel. Not getting any justice or retribution.

And the disgusting people to blame are probably praising themselves, now.

RIP

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[–] [email protected] 100 points 3 days ago (13 children)

It is a sad state of affairs when a person is doing something actually good to help animals and they get harassed. May her legacy live on forever.

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[–] [email protected] 134 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago) (15 children)

Sad, I watched her shorts sometimes. Apparently there was a hate 'snark' subreddit that just made up shit about her all day, with some members connected to the factory farming fur industry, and pedophilic artist KazeoLion, leading the harassment

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[–] [email protected] 9 points 2 days ago

Another reason why the US healthcare system sucks shit.

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