Mikayla Raines Cause of Death: SaveAFox Founder Remembered for a Life Devoted to Rescuing Animals

Mikayla Raines Cause of Death-For millions of people who discovered Mikayla Raines online, the first introduction was often a fox.

Sometimes it was an animal learning to trust humans again. Other times, viewers watched Raines patiently caring for an animal that needed rehabilitation or a permanent home.

Those moments became the foundation of SaveAFox Rescue, the Minnesota animal-rescue organization Raines founded and transformed into an online community followed by millions.

Following her death in June 2025, the videos and animals took on a different meaning. Supporters were no longer simply following a rescue organization. They were mourning the woman who had spent much of her life building it.

Who Was Mikayla Raines?

Mikayla Raines was a Minnesota wildlife rescuer, animal advocate and YouTube creator best known as the founder of SaveAFox Rescue.

Her work centered largely on foxes that had been neglected, injured, surrendered or otherwise needed specialized care.

Rather than keeping that work hidden behind the doors of a rescue facility, Raines brought people into the experience.

Through videos and social media posts, viewers could watch individual foxes develop personalities, receive care and adjust to their surroundings. The approach helped turn animals that many people knew little about into recognizable characters with their own stories.

Her audience eventually grew to more than two million YouTube subscribers.

But the numbers tell only part of the story.

Behind every video was the daily reality of feeding animals, arranging veterinary treatment, maintaining suitable environments and determining whether an animal could safely be rehabilitated or would require lifelong care.

SaveAFox Became Mikayla Raines’ Life’s Work

What began as Raines’ passion for helping animals developed into a rescue operation supported by volunteers, donors and followers from around the world.

SaveAFox provided care to foxes and other vulnerable animals, including some that could not safely return to life in the wild.

For Raines, rescue was not simply about keeping an animal alive.

Her work emphasized giving each animal appropriate care and allowing supporters to understand its individual behavior and needs.

That approach helped SaveAFox develop a particularly devoted online following. People who might never visit the Minnesota rescue could still become emotionally invested in the animals from hundreds or thousands of miles away.

In doing so, Raines helped make wildlife rescue accessible to an audience far beyond her immediate community.

Mikayla Raines Cause of Death

According to information released by her family and subsequently confirmed by the Midwest Medical Examiner’s Office, Mikayla Raines died by suicide in June 2025.

Her husband, Ethan Frankamp, publicly announced her death and later discussed the emotional difficulties she had faced.

Following her passing, Frankamp spoke about years of online harassment and bullying directed toward Raines and the effect he believed those experiences had on her.

Reports about Raines’ age were not entirely consistent. Some initial accounts listed her as 29, while later reporting identified her as 30 years old at the time of her death.

Her Husband Spoke About Online Harassment

The circumstances surrounding Raines’ death led to a conversation extending beyond the animal-rescue world.

Frankamp described his wife as an exceptionally empathetic and sensitive person. Those characteristics could be seen in the patience and compassion she showed toward animals, but he also explained that hurtful online interactions affected her deeply.

After losing his wife, he urged people to think seriously about what they say to others online.

For someone with a large social-media audience, criticism can arrive from thousands of strangers and continue long after a single post or controversy has disappeared from public attention.

Raines’ death consequently prompted supporters to discuss cyberbullying, online harassment and the emotional pressures associated with maintaining a public presence on social media.

Her story is also a reminder to avoid reducing a person’s death to one factor. Suicide is complex, and assigning a single cause beyond the officially established manner of death can oversimplify circumstances that may involve many personal factors.

Millions Knew Her Through the Foxes

Perhaps the most distinctive part of Raines’ legacy is that many people who never met her still became familiar with her work.

A viewer could discover one SaveAFox video and soon find themselves following the progress of individual animals.

The foxes became the connection.

Through them, Raines taught viewers that wildlife rescue involves far more than affection for animals. It requires resources, veterinary support, appropriate facilities, patience and difficult decisions about an animal’s long-term welfare.

Her videos also gave people an opportunity to see behaviors and personalities they might otherwise never encounter.

That educational element helped turn SaveAFox from a Minnesota rescue into a community with an international audience.

What Happened to SaveAFox After Mikayla Raines’ Death?

Raines’ passing did not erase the mission she had spent years developing.

Her work remains closely associated with SaveAFox Rescue, the animals that received care through the organization and the supporters who became invested in its mission.

For many followers, continuing to support animal welfare is one way of preserving what Raines built.

Her legacy can therefore be measured in something more tangible than views or subscriber numbers. It exists in animals given another chance and in people who developed a greater understanding of rescue because they encountered her work.

Remembering Mikayla Beyond the Circumstances of Her Death

The manner of Mikayla Raines’ death understandably became part of the public conversation surrounding her passing.

It should not become the entirety of her story.

Before the headlines about her death, there were years of rescue work.

There were animals requiring patience. There were veterinary appointments, rehabilitation efforts and difficult cases. There were videos watched by people around the world and supporters who discovered an interest in animal welfare because of what they saw.

For her husband, family and friends, there was also a person beyond SaveAFox and social media.

Mikayla Raines will be remembered as an animal rescuer who turned her compassion for foxes into a mission that reached millions of people. The animals she helped, the organization she created and the community that formed around her work remain significant parts of the legacy she left behind.

For anyone experiencing thoughts of suicide or self-harm, reaching out to local emergency services or a qualified mental-health professional can provide immediate support.

Disclaimer

This article is intended to respectfully document the life and reported circumstances surrounding the death of Mikayla Raines. Information regarding her cause of death is based on details attributed to her family and the Midwest Medical Examiner’s Office. Discussions of online harassment reflect statements made following her death and should not be interpreted as establishing a single cause for suicide. This article is intended for informational and memorial purposes while preserving the broader legacy of Raines’ animal-rescue work.