Lakeville Woman's Fights For Permit To Keep Rescued Foxes

LAKEVILLE, Minn. (WCCO) -- A Twin Cities woman who saves foxes from becoming fur, learned Thursday she may lose her permit to work out of her home.

Mikayla Raines currently has at least seven foxes living in her home in Lakeville. The planning commission listened Thursday night as she pleaded to keep them.

Raines's interim use permit allows her to have three foxes on her property, but she admits to violating that permit. Raines has five foxes now, because she says she wants to start a fox sanctuary.

Dozens of her supporters turned out to the Lakeville Planning Commission meeting. They spoke about how Raines had saved foxes from fur farms and gave them new homes.

The commission's job was simply to determine if she had violated her permit by having more than three foxes on her property. Even though some on the commission sympathized with her situation, they voted to revoke that permit.

"I don't think they really had a choice," Raines said. "I mean, they're right -- I'm not in compliance right now. I hope they pass on their other feelings to the city council. It seemed like a lot of them felt that I should be able to amend it and ask for more."

The story has received attention from around the world -- actors and actresses have even tweeted about her issue.

The Lakeville City Council will likely vote on the issue on May 15.

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