06/26/2025
Trigger Warning: Cyberbullying; Exclusion
After doing a deep dive into Mikayla Raines, owner and founder of the Save A Fox non-profit organization in Minnesota who tragically took her own life, I’ve felt called to make a public service announcement about bullying and exclusion in the animal care industry.
This may raise some hackles, but it needs to be addressed. I will include some personal experiences I have had in order to highlight how this issue touches home for me.
As an owner of a holistic pet care business, I have been at the receiving end of a lot of scrutiny. Sometimes from other supposed “like-minded” businesses. Instead of being treated as an equal, I was treated as a subordinate. Whenever I had ideas that other people either didn’t understand or didn’t agree with, I was harshly kicked out of the circle, no longer allowed to have a voice. I was previously extremely passionate about grooming dogs in a consent-based way, catering to those animals specifically with trauma. Since I hadn’t received a lot of support for this type of work, I reached out to other professionals doing similar work. I NEEDED support from other people to keep going, as the judgments and criticisms from other people who “didn’t get it” became extremely depressing. I felt that I could learn from them and equally, they could learn from me. Where I am always open to learning new things, the people in this circle simply did not want to learn anything from me, which I would assume is because I take a spiritual approach to animal care, often being an advocate for energy work, animal communication and holistic veterinary medicine. For those who are “trying to be taken seriously,” anyone even mentioning the importance of energy work, spiritual wellness and alternative medicine is seen as a threat. Why? Because mainstream science and media largely does not support this type of work and regards it as “pseudoscience.”
Despite being judged as someone who is wholly “unscientific,” I am a proponent of holistic veterinary medicine, well versed in canine and feline nutrition, herbalism, and am actively engaged in educational platforms that include veterinary professionals, nutritionists, holistic animal caretakers, etc. Science has always been a big passion of mine, but mainstream science is not all science. Take quantum physics, for example, it’s a real branch of science that is harshly criticized by the more mainstream scientists. In the age of misinformation, it’s extremely important to learn from multiple verified resources, such as those written by experienced and esteemed holistic and homeopathic veterinarians. I am dedicated to continuing my education from reliable resources, investing in both online and in-person courses, and volunteering for both wild and domestic animal care facilities to further my education and experience. I acknowledge being both a teacher and a student, always looking to learn more about what I don’t know.
All that said, I was eager and excited to connect with people who I thought were just as passionate about helping animals as I am. I saw these people as sensitive, empathic and a little nerdy like myself. I thought, “I have finally found my people!” However, when I looked for a friend, I found an enemy instead. After being blocked by the leader of this organization, my mental health rapidly declined. Here I was, looking for support from someone who I believed was just like me, only to be blocked, mocked, and criticized. At a time where I was already feeling pretty down in the dumps, this simple act of exclusion tore me to shreds.
Stupidly, I thought, “Oh that’s just one person, don’t worry about it, there’s got to be someone else who I could talk to, share ideas with and offer mutual support and encouragement.” Little did I know how much power this person had over the rest of the group. After sharing a podcast episode I made titled “Healthy High Value Treats for Dogs” with one of the professionals in this circle, after ASKING PERMISSION to share this resource, I was immediately blocked. No explanation, no reason.
Now a lot of you reading this might think, “Wow, someone blocked you, who cares? It’s the internet, get over it.” It’s deeper than that. I am ALL FOR blocking someone who is actively causing you harm, harassing you, or making hurtful and mean comments. But someone who is asking questions, offering support and educational resources, in my eyes would be seen more as an ally and less as a threat, but that’s just me. Unsolicited advice is usually never helpful or welcome, especially when it makes someone else feel like what they’re doing is being questioned. However, when it comes to holistic animal care, asking questions is essential. Continuing your education is essential. Welcoming other people into your space who you can learn from is essential. And if someone is doing or saying something that is bothering you, all you have to do is let them know, privately. Resorting to blocking and “cancelling” others simply for having a different view as you, in my opinion, is not at all about learning or advocating for animals. Protecting your ego and reputation at all costs will end up costing you in the long run.
Because of being blocked by not one but two people who I thought were in the same boat as me, doing their best to advocate for more humane animal handling and care that is rooted in compassion, empathy and consent. Was I simply foolish to think that they’d ever care about anything I said, even if it was intended to support and help? I guess so, it’s the internet after all!
Even though by this point I realized none of these people were who they claimed to be, it still took a big toll on me. Did they feel like the information I was sharing was a threat to their business? Did they see me as competition to be snuffed out, rather than a friend to collaborate with?
This group promotes themselves as being open to all people in the professional space who are like-minded and have similar goals in the industry, yet I don’t find this to be true at all. If you are paying, then sure, you’re allowed in the space. But if you aren’t paying? Think again.
Again, not to derail from the original topic - cyberbullying and exclusion. I had just recently moved my entire business and family across the country, and I needed support in this time more than ever before. I knew that if I found some support, I could keep doing what I do, I could keep grooming dogs holistically and advocating for cooperative care. I didn’t know where to turn, since even just the word “holistic” makes a lot of people cringe.
I said to heck with this group of people, who honestly seemed more like a cult, despite them being very clear that they are not a cult. I decided I’d try to reach out to a few other professionals that were holistic and positive training based, only to have similar experiences. One was a person who is local to the US and whom I had met in person, who made it clear they were not interested in collaborating. Other people who promised they’d get back to me to collaborate, only to be ghosted. Never replied to, never given an explanation.
As someone who suffers with mental health problems, I couldn’t handle being blocked and excluded like this. I spent many days questioning my worth, wondering what I had said or did wrong to make these people hate me. Was it simply because I was being myself, vulnerable, and opening myself up to rejection? Was it because I was “the real deal” when it came to holistic, actually embodying what it means to be holistic? Or perhaps I was coming off with a “better than you” attitude that made people feel threatened. Either way, I genuinely believe these people think that I was threatened by their success and maybe even jealous. And where I have definitely compared myself to those receiving more praise from the community, I cared way more about being friends and allies with these people then I cared about “riding off their success.” I get it, if you have more followers than me, you automatically assume I’m trying to hijack your following and take them for my own. Ironically, all I wanted was some friends in the holistic grooming space to talk to, chat with, vent to, etc. Obviously, that’s not what I got.
All of this led to my mental health declining rapidly. It got to the point where I decided to officially close my books for grooming. And although I know this was the right move for me, I can’t help but wonder how things would have gone if I would have received even the tiniest bit of support from my p*ers. Would I still be taking on aggression cases for grooming? Would I be finally recognized for all my hard work in the animal care field? It doesn’t matter, but I do think I would have kept going if I knew I had other people cheering me on and hoping to see my grooming business succeed. Because after all, it’s about helping dogs, right? Not stroking our egos and reputation? Hmm, maybe I’m wrong here.
This is a long winded post and I thank you if you’ve made it this far. All of this to say, I completely gave up something I was extremely passionate about because some mean girls decided it was their thing and no one else's. They decided you couldn’t be a part of the group unless you were paying. They honestly gave holistic grooming a very mean look, making it seem like these people genuinely believe they are better than others who operate differently.
And where my mental health certainly did slip, I became extremely isolated and at times even fell back into feeling worthless, like nothing I do will ever matter or make a difference, and that someone else bullied me to the point of giving up. “Let them have it” is something that kept coming up in my mind. It’s a darn good thing I had enough of a hold on my mental health to NOT do something stupid like try to harm myself. I have done things like that in the past after being bullied, excluded and talked down to. But now, I’m more resilient. I’m stronger than I was. And this shifted me into writing full time and offering animal communication and reiki as my main business offerings - something that speaks more to my heart and is more in alignment with my long-term business and career goals. It also sparked my desire to go back to college and pursue a veterinary degree. So for me, at least for now, this ridicule, segregation and exclusion ended up being helpful for me. It showed me where I was wanted, needed and respected, which was with the animals, and not the people claiming to be oh so welcoming. Along with that, it helped me realize that I want to be the one who offers love, support and compassion to all animal care professionals, regardless of if I believe in everything they practice or not! It has made me realize that NO ONE will want to be my friend, ally or colleague if I come off as demonizing, or judging those who use conventional medicine and practices. It gives the word “holistic” a bad name, and for all of these lessons, I am beyond grateful.
However, not everyone can deal with being blocked, talked down to, and excluded from the animal care world, even if it’s just in the online space. All some people have for support is the online space. Mikayla’s tragic death reminded me that animal care workers, above all, need to stick together. Regardless of our differences, we need to help each other. The animal care industry is evolving and change will ALWAYS ruffle some feathers, but this change needs to be unifying, rather than keeping everyone separated and segregated from each other.
If any of the people who have blocked me, judged me, or talked down on me read this, I still have love for you! Just because I may see through your social media presence or your facade in the online space, does not mean that I don’t wish the best for you. It just means that I now know that I need to be very careful of who I talk to, express myself to and attempt to make friends with. There is always a clique going on in the background and I know I’m not special enough to be granted into someone’s space simply because I’m an animal lover. If you have a group of support, cherish them with your dear life, because yes, it is hard to come by in this day and age where it’s more of a battle of the egos than a collaborative effort to achieve change in the animal care industry.
Thank you to Mikayla of Saveafox Corporation for bringing this awareness, for showing us that people in animal care jobs and rescue work are EXHAUSTED. They simply cannot deal with any more hatred, criticism or disrespect. And if you EVER have an issue with someone, go to them directly. It won’t always work, but it’s much better than pushing someone to the point of ending their life. To all the animals that Mikayla and her organization helped, please watch over her spirit. She was sensitive, kind and caring and any “mistakes” she may have made are long forgiven. You are loved, you are appreciated, no matter the things you may have done “wrong.” You are love and will always be remembered. Rest easy, angel.
