Hi friends, Reef the fox here with your weekly “Reef’s Report.” Well, would you look at that. Your boy Reef has done it again. For the fourth year in a row, I’ve been voted Best Local Celebrity in the Upper Keys.
I would like to thank my adoring fans from around the world, the fine people of Monroe County, and anyone who has ever sacrificed a snack to my greatness. Truly, this is the people’s victory.
Now, while people keep saying this is “cute” and “heartwarming,” I’d like to dig a little deeper. You see, for me, and for animals like me, this kind of recognition means more than just bragging rights or extra quail eggs (though let’s be honest, both are appreciated).
I was born into a world where animals like me are seen as products, not individuals. On fur farms around the globe, millions of foxes, mink, raccoon dogs and other animals are bred and killed for one reason: fashion. Not warmth. Not survival. Fashion. Their short lives are spent pacing on wire floors, deprived of space, sunlight and any form of kindness.
This award, this shiny little plaque, represents something much bigger than me. It shows that humans can evolve and that you are capable of looking at an animal once destined for a fur coat and seeing instead a being with a name, a story and a heart that beats for connection, not fear.
When you voted for me, you didn’t just vote for a fox with a big personality (and, okay, a slightly bigger ego). You voted for compassion. You voted for change. You voted for the belief that animals deserve better … that we all do.
So while I’m over here figuring out where to display my fourth “Best Local Celebrity” award, I also want to dedicate this win to the millions of fur-bearing animals that will never live to see the new year, as the fur-farm killing season has now begun across the world.
If my story can make even one person think twice before buying fur, if it can inspire a child to choose kindness, or remind someone that healing is possible after trauma, then that’s worth more than all the trophies in the world.
So here’s to all the survivors, the rescuers and the believers.
Until next time, Reef, over and out!
