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The Tragic Loss of Mikayla Raines: Online Harassment, Reddit's Role, and the Need for Accountability

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  Published in Media and Entertainment on Wednesday, June 25th 2025 at 10:20 GMT by Michael Jones
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The Tragic Loss of Mikayla Raines: Online Harassment, Reddit's Role, and the Need for Accountability

On June 23, 2025, the animal rescue community and millions of fans worldwide were devastated by the news of Mikayla Raines' death by suicide at the age of 29. Raines, the founder of Save A Fox Rescue, a Minnesota-based nonprofit dedicated to saving foxes and other exotic animals from fur farms and unfit homes, was a beloved YouTube personality with over 2.4 million subscribers. Her vibrant videos showcasing her interactions with foxes like Finnegan and Dixie brought joy to countless viewers and highlighted her unwavering commitment to animal welfare. However, behind her radiant smile and dedication to her cause, Raines battled severe mental health challenges, including autism, depression, and borderline personality disorder, which were exacerbated by a relentless online harassment campaign. Her husband, Ethan Raines, revealed in an emotional video that this targeted abuse, much of it originating from a Reddit snark subreddit, played a significant role in her tragic decision to end her life. This article explores Raines' legacy, the toxic culture of online bullying, Reddit's potential liability, and the troubling actions taken to obscure evidence of harassment.

Mikayla Raines: A Beacon of Compassion

Mikayla Raines founded Save A Fox Rescue in 2017, driven by a lifelong passion for animals nurtured by her mother, a wildlife rehabilitator. By age 15, Raines was bottle-feeding foxes, and by 18, she had trained as a wildlife rehabilitator and studied veterinary science. Her focus eventually shifted to domestic foxes, leading to the creation of Save A Fox, a sanctuary and adoption center that has saved over 150 foxes from fur farms and neglectful environments. Raines' YouTube channel and social media presence, with hundreds of thousands of followers on Instagram, showcased her tireless work and deep bond with the animals in her care. Her videos, filled with playful interactions and educational content, inspired a global audience and raised significant funds, including $60,000 in donations to expand her rescue operations after regulatory challenges in Lakeville, Minnesota. Despite her public success, Raines faced private struggles. Ethan revealed that her mental health conditions made daily tasks and social interactions challenging, even as she poured her heart into rescuing animals. Her sensitivity, compounded by her diagnoses, made her particularly vulnerable to the emotional toll of online criticism. The harassment she endured, which included baseless accusations about her rescue's practices and personal attacks from rival sanctuaries and anonymous online users, pushed her to a breaking point.

The Role of Reddit and the Snark Subreddit Culture

A significant portion of the harassment directed at Raines originated from a Reddit snark subreddit, r/SaveAFoxSnark, where users congregated to criticize and mock her work. Snark subreddits, known for their vitriolic tone, often target individuals under the guise of “critique,” fostering environments where rumors and misinformation flourish. In Raines' case, detractors spread discredited lies about Save A Fox's business practices, accused her of animal hoarding, and even attacked her for personal choices, such as maintaining an OnlyFans account. These attacks were not limited to strangers; Ethan noted that individuals within the animal rescue community and people Raines considered friends contributed to the toxic narrative. The r/SaveAFoxSnark subreddit became a hub for this harassment, with over 200,000 users reportedly engaging in discussions that relentlessly criticized Raines. Her attempts to address these accusations directly on the platform only deepened her distress, as she was drawn into a destructive cycle of seeking out negativity and internalizing it. This dynamic, described by a Reddit user on r/news, reflects a dangerous feedback loop where individuals with mental health struggles are particularly vulnerable to online abuse. The intensity of this harassment, coupled with Raines' pre-existing conditions, created a perfect storm that led to her tragic death.

Reddit's Potential Liability

Reddit, as a platform, bears a degree of responsibility for enabling the toxic environment that snark subreddits cultivate. While Reddit's terms of service prohibit harassment, the platform has been criticized for its lax moderation of subreddits that thrive on targeting individuals. The r/SaveAFoxSnark subreddit, like others of its kind, operated as a space where coordinated harassment could occur with minimal oversight. Reddit's failure to proactively monitor and shut down such communities, despite their clear potential for harm, raises questions about the platform's liability in cases where their inaction contributes to real-world consequences. Legally, holding Reddit liable for user-generated content is complex due to Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, which shields platforms from responsibility for content posted by users. However, legal scholars argue that platforms can be held accountable if they knowingly allow harmful content to persist or fail to enforce their own policies. In Raines' case, Reddit's allowance of r/SaveAFoxSnark to operate, despite reports of harassment, could constitute negligence, particularly if evidence shows the platform was aware of the subreddit's toxic behavior and did nothing to intervene. The fact that Raines directly engaged with her harassers on the platform suggests Reddit had ample opportunity to recognize the harm being caused and act to mitigate it.

Allegations of Evidence Suppression

Following Raines' death, the r/SaveAFoxSnark subreddit was swiftly privated, and moderators reportedly deleted their accounts, actions that many fans and observers interpret as an attempt to hide evidence of the harassment. Social media posts on X and comments on Reddit threads, such as those on r/h3h3productions and r/youtubedrama, noted that the subreddit's sudden disappearance coincided with growing public outrage over Raines' suicide. One X user, @MalCan4401 , explicitly stated that Reddit was “trying to cover their butts” after Raines' death, pointing to the platform's role in enabling the harassment. While the subreddit's contents may still be accessible through archiving tools like the Wayback Machine, the act of privating the subreddit suggests an effort to obscure the extent of the abuse Raines endured. This deletion of evidence is particularly troubling because it hinders accountability and prevents a full understanding of the harassment's scope. If Reddit or subreddit moderators actively removed content to avoid scrutiny, this could further bolster arguments for the platform's liability. The lack of transparency undermines efforts to address the systemic issues within snark subreddits and raises ethical questions about Reddit's commitment to user safety.

The Broader Implications and Call for Change

Mikayla Raines' death is a stark reminder of the devastating impact of online harassment, particularly when amplified by platforms like Reddit that allow toxic communities to thrive. Her story echoes other high-profile cases, such as the seizure and euthanasia of Peanut the squirrel, where online criticism and anonymous complaints led to tragic outcomes. The animal rescue community, already fraught with competition and toxicity, as highlighted in discussions on r/news, must grapple with how internal rivalries and external harassment can escalate to deadly consequences. Reddit must take stronger action to curb snark subreddits and enforce anti-harassment policies. This could include stricter moderation, proactive monitoring of communities targeting individuals, and clearer mechanisms for reporting abuse. Beyond Reddit, Raines' death underscores the need for broader societal conversations about online cruelty, mental health awareness, and the responsibility of social media platforms to protect vulnerable users.

Continuing Mikayla's Legacy

Ethan Raines has vowed to continue Save A Fox's mission, ensuring that Mikayla's dream of rescuing animals endures. The outpouring of grief from fans, fellow rescuers, and animal lovers worldwide reflects the profound impact Raines had on her community. Her legacy lives on through the foxes she saved and the awareness she raised about animal welfare. However, her death also serves as a call to action: platforms like Reddit must be held accountable for enabling harassment, and society must work to foster a digital environment where compassion, not cruelty, prevails. If you or someone you know is struggling with suicidal thoughts, help is available. Call or text 988 in the United States or reach out to local crisis resources. Mikayla Raines' light may have been extinguished, but her story compels us to fight for a kinder, more accountable online world.