Mikayla Raines, founder of Save A Fox, was the epitome of a totally dedicated animal rescuer. She earned her status as an icon among animal rescues worldwide.
She has tragically died after suicide caused by online abuse and severe harassment for several years. Mikayla was on the autism spectrum and had various related health issues.
She started Save A Fox on her own. She built it from a literal room into what it is today. The Save A Fox YouTube channel is a pretty good biography of her work. She created an archetype for modern animal rescues in the US.
She was also in the process of rescuing 500 foxes from a fur farm and under severe ongoing stress from a massive, unbelievable 24/7/365 workload, and constant commitments with significant financial pressures. She didn’t like the limelight at all and really just put up with it.
Her husband, Ethan, posted a truly shocking video describing the situation. She leaves a very young daughter and a literal army of millions of worldwide admirers.
I’m a longtime follower and admirer of Save A Fox. I’ll try not to sound as angry as I am. I’ve watched them battle murderously dangerous Minnesota blizzards, constant emergencies, daily impossibilities, and a vast array of sudden difficult situations for years. They were even hacked and lost their YouTube channel for a while. I’ve watched the brilliant, dazzling foxes in all sorts of situations. Save A Fox earned millions of devoted online followers purely on merit.
The harassment had been going on for years. I’ve seen some of it first-hand on Reddit and elsewhere. This harassment was truly bizarre, utterly grotesque, and totally unjustified. To describe this harassment as insane would be flattery. A more pointless, useless, and stupid petty collection of meaningless, nasty little nobodies you couldn’t imagine.
This harassment involved unfounded accusations, trolling, and completely false statements. These baseless, disgusting statements are, in my opinion, defamatory at the very least.
You must question the motives behind this harassment. Why would anyone put so much pressure on a person whose life revolved entirely around animal rescues? What sort of dismal attempt at a so-called human being is so mindlessly vindictive?
I don’t know if any of the harassment is legally actionable in the US. Other forms of harassment involving death, trauma, or injury often are. Somebody should pay for this atrocity, and the online platforms should also be held accountable.
The harassment didn’t stop Save A Fox, and it won’t. Donate and support Save A Fox in any way you can.
Postscript: A lot of extremely angry Redditors are demanding action. The comments speak for themselves.
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Disclaimer
The opinions expressed in this Op-Ed are those of the author. They do not purport to reflect the opinions or views of the Digital Journal or its members.
