07/02/2025
Lately, I've been seeing a lot of US-based rescue posts in my feed - and recently, one struck a deep chord and I had to just sit with it. I don't know the rescue or the people involved. What I identify with and have some sense of - is how heavy the weight public criticism and judgement of fellow rescuers can be - even when your heart and intentions are in the right place.
People can be really excellent band wagon jumpers without pause or care to know truth. Even if you don't agree with a decision of a rescuer, there's no justification to relentlessly bash a person to death with an onslaught of criticism and the sole goal to taint their reputation and good name.
In rescue, impulsive decision making when a life or lives are on the line is basically a pre-requisite ability. Jump in and sort it out after. I'm sure all rescues have made impulsive decisions at some point in time. Probably multiple times over. I know that I have. It's something that will always happen because it's part of the way of life for those in rescue. The rescue world itself can be so incredibly cutthroat - That's an unfortunate reality. The criticism and bullying doesn't always just come from the general public, but also from fellow rescuers whether motivated by jealousy, envy, control, differing views, attention seeking, or whatever the motivation, doesn't matter. It shouldn't be happening at all. I'm not counting valid concerns for the welfare of animals under the care of irresponsible rescues. Of course, advocate for those animals. Not all rescues are responsible or ethical ones. Except, advocacy wasn't happening in this situation. It was flat out bullying.
Often, the ones with the biggest mouths, seeking to cause the most damage to a person, the people who are the loudest in the most horrible of ways, are the few, not the many. Even knowing the many are supporters both in and outside the rescue world, doesn't erase how the negativity sticks. The harsh words, the twisting of your intentions - they linger. They create an internal battle that's difficult to silence. At the end of the day, we're still only human.
Seeing this post about Mikayla hit a chord. Maybe because it reminds me of other posts about rescuers who have lost their lives for similar reasons. Maybe it's because I've experienced criticism, judgement and bullying on a lesser scale, myself (ironically, it's how Random Rescue became Random Rescuer with an 'r' at the end - a positive that came from a negative experience).
It's heartbreaking to know that compassionate, selfless, kind and genuine rescuers like Mikayla, can be lost to cruelty. The mental, physical, emotional health added day to day struggle intertwined with the burden of carrying the extra weight of criticism, judgement and bullying just becomes too heavy to hold up and keep at enough of a distance for one person. Criticism and bullying can be crushing. Literally.
Rescuers are, at the end of the day, only human. We break. Everyone's entitled to an opinion, but if your words are meant to wound - if you don't care what they might do to someone - that says more about you than the person you're criticizing. Your goal should never be to see how broken you can leave someone.
Please choose kindness. Show compassion. Remember, you never know what someone is carrying - not today, not any day.
Heartfelt condolences to Mikayla's family, friends and supporters. To see the absolutely heartbreaking and important video shared by Mikayla's husband, click the link. There is a trigger warning as the topic can be a difficult one for many.
https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1B4m4CcKwz/
May Mikayla be finally at peace now.
**I've seen a number of photos now of Mikayla, but I kept coming back to this one. All I see is the connection she had with the fox in her rescue and that they had with her in return. It's incredibly sad to think of all those faces wondering where their person went.
