Sanctuary Stories

The Fox Who Was Saved Because He Was Different

For foxes on fur farms in Minnesota, abnormalities are a blessing — because the farmers know who to call

Photos: Save a Fox

Mikayla Raines knows that in order to continue saving foxes from the fur industry, she has to remain respectful of fur farmers — as tough as that may be. Near her Minnesota-based sanctuary, Save a Fox, there are numerous fur farms, and when they have foxes they can’t or won’t use, fur farmers will often give her a call. And she’s grateful.

It’s a perhaps odd relationship, but it’s a very effective one, and it’s how one special fox, Valentine, who would have otherwise been destined for death, ended up at Save a Fox, alive and adorable.

Valentine arrived at Save a Fox when he was a year old, after it was discovered he had a genetic deformity called Gingiva Hyperplasia, meaning his gums never stop growing, requiring annual surgery to be trimmed. “When the foxes are born with those deformities, the fur farms don’t necessarily want to use those foxes for breeding again,” explains Raines. So, they call her. They call her when…