Paws for hope better together program The Human Toll: How a Retaliatory Power Play Breaks a Person and an Innocent Senior Dog

The Human Toll: How a Retaliatory Power Play Breaks a Person and an Innocent Senior Dog

I am sitting here right now writing this in severe physical pain. The intense stress, anxiety, and shock that this entirel situation has caused has sent my nervous system into complete overload. My mind is dissociating situation badly, I am struggling to catch my words, I cannot eat, I cannot sleep, and I am in a constant state of hypervigilance and fear. I sit up at night with tears streaming down my face, crying so hard that my ribs physically hurt and I can barely even breathe.

I am a person with severe complex PTSD, severe OCD, and severe fibromyalgia. I have no family. I have no support system. I am not writing this for pity or to make anyone feel guilty; I am simply speaking my absolute, raw truth. This situation is literally taking the life out of me and severely affecting my mental health.

My dogs are not pets. They are my medical necessity. They are my medication and my source of survival. My 13-year-old senior Papillon is medically necessary and has a doctor's note proving it. My new puppy is meant to be certified as a service dog to help me navigate my conditions. Yet, a program whose website explicitly claims to keep pets and owners together has completely stripped away my senior Papillon's medical support over a single, raw rant post. This was a post where I didn't use a single vulgarity, curse word, or malicious attack. It was an unfiltered emotional pressure valve, and it has been completely twisted out of context.

I have been systematically bullied, intimidated, and filled with fear by Executive Director Kathy Powelson since 2024. I have the emails and the documentation to prove the drastic, mean, and aggressive shift in her attitude toward me. But what is truly evil is that when you cannot break me, you go after an innocent, defenseless 13-year-old senior dog who has done absolutely nothing wrong. This organization used my senior Papillon’s photos from 2021 to 2026 to bring in public donations because she was cute enough for that, but now, her medical care is stripped away.

To understand how backward this termination is, people need to understand the structural definitions of how an organization like Paws for Hope is supposed to function. The Board of Directors is a group of individuals who hold the ultimate governing authority over an organization. They are responsible for high-level policy, legal compliance, and final organizational decisions. The Board President, Dr. Shawn Llewellyn, is the highest leader of this governing body, whose authority and specific management of a case should never be bypassed. The Executive Director is Kathy Powelson an employee hired by the board to manage the day-to-day operations of the charity. The Executive Director, Kathy Powelson, reports directly to the board and does not have the legal or structural authority to go over the Board President's head to unilaterally terminate a contract, especially on a case the President was personally overseeing.

Kathy Powelson is completely overstepping her boundaries. Dr. Llewellyn has been my senior Papillon's vet and has handled her care for a couple of years now. He knows about my puppy, he knows about the vaccine inquiries, and he cares about my senior girl deeply. The moment he left for a three-week vacation, Kathy Powelson seized the opportunity. It is incredibly clear to anyone looking at the full picture that she had to have been watching, policing, and monitoring my personal journal. There is no other way. The timing of how fast this termination happened proves intent. She literally sat there, watched, and waited for the exact moment I wrote a raw emotional vent that she thought she could use against me. Whenever anything has ever happened, she has never once called me to speak to me like a human being. Since they do not have a human resource coordinator, she is apparently trying to act like one now, blindly taking sides and issuing final warnings based on fabricated stories. It is completely weird, creepy, and shows a total lack of character.

I have worked incredibly hard in the last eight months to change my life and I have made some drastic, positive changes. This situation has caused a huge step back. I and my stability, and now it feels like that hard work is being compromised by this chaos.

I want to be clear that this is not a personal attack on Kathy. It is me speaking my truth. Everything that I have said is nothing but the truth. I have never lied, I have never fabricated stories, and I have never bullied anyone. I am a loud, passionate Irish Sagittarius. I talk loudly, and I will fight and advocate for my dogs until my last breath because I am their only voice. Kathy Powelson can attack me all she wants, but making a medical senior animal pay the price for a personal grudge is abhorrent. The contract and policies of this program have been broken repeatedly, not by me, but by staff and by Kathy Powelson herself.

The full picture of this puzzle is right here. I will be compiling every unedited audio recording, transcript, and email that shows the disrespect, the shouting, and the bullying I have endured. For whoever happens to be reading this blog, please be patient with me as I navigate my severe health problems and figure out how to get these vital recordings up, because the truth will be documented.

Paws for hope better together program letter received in the mail lets talk about the definition of a rant

I want to add some clarity about the reality of what a rant actually is, and why the reaction to this one has been blown completely out of proportion. As the definition below state's a rant is simply a release of high emotion. It is not a crime, and it is not an attack.

Here are the facts regarding why this post exists and why the resulting termination is unjust:

Raw Emotion, Not Malice: This post was written from a place of intense stress, anxiety, and raw emotion. I did not go on a vulgar tirade. I did not hurl nasty insults, swear at anyone, or call anyone horrible names. I simply expressed my genuine, unfiltered frustration about a situation that felt incredibly unjust.

The Reality of My Situation: Navigating daily life with complex PTSD, severe OCD, and severe fibromyalgia takes an immense toll. When you combine those daily battles with the stress of bringing home a new puppy to be certified as a service dog only to be denied help and support by a program that is literally supposed to be there for that exact reason the pressure becomes overwhelming. Of course, I am going to react. Of course, I am going to rant. Anyone would.

My Intent Was Just to Vent: The intent of this post was never to hurt anyone’s feelings, and it was certainly never intended to get my dog terminated from a program. The sole purpose was to let my emotions and feelings out so I didn't have to carry them inside.

This Blog is My Therapy Tool : I have had this blog since 2018. I have used it on and off for years, covering everything from crime stories to my own mental health. Most importantly, I use this platform for Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) techniques. It is my dedicated space to process my thoughts and cope with my environment. I have every right to express my feelings on my own established platform without having to censor myself or start a brand-new, hidden account somewhere else just to avoid retaliation.

An Innocent Dog Should Not Pay the Price: It is not my fault that the executive director reacted to my coping mechanism the way she did. But what is truly harsh and entirely unacceptable is that a 13-year-old senior dog is being forced to suffer the consequences of a human being's rant. A rant is a rant. Terminating a senior dog’s support over a blog post is completely blown out of proportion.

I am a human being who was stressed, backed into a corner, and needed an outlet. I used my own blog to do exactly that, and my senior dog should not be the one punished for it.

Definition of a rant/A rant is a long, loud, and often angry or overly emotional speech, message, or piece of writing. As a verb, it means to express strong opinions at length in an uncontrolled or impassioned manner.Key Aspects of a RantTone: It is typically fueled by passion, frustration, or anger rather than calm, structured logic.Delivery: Rants can be verbal outbursts or written texts (like long, angry social media posts or op-eds).Exaggeration: The speaker or writer may use bombastic, repetitive, or extreme language to make their point.Common Variations and Usage"Rant and rave": A common idiom that emphasizes the extreme, often unreasonable nature of someone's loud complaining.Ranter: A noun used to describe a person who frequently goes on rants.Real-World Examples"He went on a long rant about how expensive gas has gotten.""She was so frustrated with the software issue that she wrote a 500-word rant on the company's forum.""You can rant and rave all you want, but it isn't going to change the rules."

Paws for hope better together program scott still veterinarian hospital staff Marni lying phone call

 

These are the emails that I received after receiving my dog food, which I talked about.In my previous post about a staff member Marni that made a false report about me in false allegation about me, which I have the recording of the call because I had a feeling that I should record it. Because I've had issues with her in the past. In person and over the phone. So I made the decision to record the call, which I am going to attach the phone Transcript, the phone call and show you that I was not being disrespectful. I was not being rude if I can attach the recording I will try and do that.I don't know how to do it, but i'm gonna try.And figure it out, but for now, i'm going to attach the phone transcript below.

Good afternoon, Scottsdale Vet. Marni

 speaking. How can I help you? Yes, hi. This is Laura Justice calling back. I just had Uber come there and pick up Zoe's food. You guys gave me the medium-sized bag. She's supposed to have the large bag. Okay, I don't know about that. That was the size that... I don't know. That was put away by someone else. Just one sec, Laura. All right, thank you. Scottsdale Veterinary Hospital, we're working hard to get to your call. Please stay on the line. One of our staff here at Scottsdale... All of our staff here at... Hi, Laura. Thanks for holding. Okay, so apparently it wasn't specified, and apparently Ashley told you she was putting a four kilogram bag aside. So that's what we have, and that's what we gave you. So you need to specify specifically. I did specify. I have it on recording. I specified it. I asked for the large bag, and I have the voicemail from Ashley when I asked her to put this stuff aside for a volunteer, but obviously that didn't happen. And I made sure. I have the voicemail. She called me back and gave me the proper price because she said, oh, I gave you the price of cat food instead of dog food. So I have the voicemail. I asked... What quote? What did she quote you? 30... Hold on one second. I'm just going to double. I think I wrote it down too. Hold on one second. And this is, you're saying this is for a big bag. Yes, because I wanted to last a year and a half, and I just sent Cassie a photo of that. Like, I just spent $17 of my money to make sure that she has a huge bag for the next year and a half so that obviously I'm not bothering hope for pause, and, you know, I don't have to deal with worrying about going back and forth. That's why I asked for a big bag. Not a medium-sized bag, big bag. I confirmed that before I even had Uber. I said, Uber is on the way. I wanna confirm that you have the big bag. Oh no, the medium-sized bag? I said, no, the big bag. Yeah, oh yeah, okay, yep, the big bag. Well, the big bag, that's the one we have. That's the only size you've ever gotten, Laura, so that's what we gave you. No, but I asked for the large bag because we don't wanna go... We don't have the large bag in stock. It's a special order. And we've only ever gotten a two kilogram. We're not talking about previous orders. We're talking about what I wanted this time. Just one moment, Laura. Just one more. Just one moment. Laura, thanks again for holding. Okay, so the four kilogram is the largest bag. It doesn't come in any bigger size. Well, I've been in your guys' clinic and you guys do have bigger bags, like the big size bags, like the ones that are like huge. This is like the medium-sized bag. Laura, the urinary SO small dog, which you got, the largest bag that it comes in is a four kilogram bag. The urinary for large dogs is different, not for small dogs. Four kilo is the biggest bag they have and the biggest bag that they make. We just checked with our supplier company. It doesn't come in any larger bags. Royal Canin does not make a larger bag than four kilos for small dog urinary SO. Yeah, because that's not going to last Zoe a year and a half. That's going to last her probably, I don't even know how long. That just cost me $17 to have that. I could have carried that, you know. Now it's just, I thought there was a big huge bag coming. Well, I'm sorry, that's the largest bag that it comes in. Well, that's not what the conversation was when I had with Ashley last week. Like, I asked specifically. That's not what you had with Ashley? Well, what did Ashley say? I specifically asked her for the largest bag, the biggest bag. That is the largest bag. Okay, all right, thank you. That is the largest bag, Laura, of the one that you've been getting for a Papillon. It's urinary SO small dog. That is the largest bag it comes in. Okay. We can't give you something that they don't make. Okay, thank you. Okay, you're welcome.

Transcript Analysis: Contradictions and Misinformation

​I have carefully reviewed the transcript of my phone call with Marni at Scottsdale Veterinary Hospital, and the inconsistencies in her story are clear.

​Shifting Explanations: When I first called to resolve the issue of receiving a medium bag instead of the large one I ordered, Marni initially claimed ignorance, stating, "I don't know about that. That was put away by someone else".

​Contradictory Inventory Claims: After I explained my reasoning for the large bag, Marni insisted, "That's the only size you've ever gotten, Laura, so that's what we gave you". However, she immediately pivoted and contradicted herself by stating, "We don't have the large bag in stock. It's a special order".

​Conflicting Information Regarding the Manufacturer: Marni repeatedly asserted that the 4kg bag was the largest size available, claiming, "We just checked with our supplier company. It doesn't come in any larger bags". This definitive statement directly clashes with her earlier admission that the larger size is simply a "special order".

​These contradictions reveal a clear pattern of shifting justifications rather than a consistent or factual explanation regarding the clinic's inventory or supply chain.

The Bigger Picture

​As I sit here and analyze all of this, the complaints, the lies, the manipulation, the false allegations, and the threats, the pieces of the puzzle are finally locking into place. I am no longer just seeing isolated incidents; I am seeing the calculated nature of how this was handled and the true objective behind these actions and those actions of others as well involved or that have involved themselves or inserted themselves.

Paws for hope better together program prof Dr Llewellyn was taking over my 13-year-old senior Papillon

Dr Llewellyn : 
 Dedication to Access: He is described as being dedicated to improving access to veterinary care for marginalized communities.

​Core Belief: He holds the belief that no pet should go without care simply because of their owner's circumstances.

​Advocacy: Throughout his career, he has spent his time advocating for better care for pets, regardless of their owner's financial or social situation.

An Expectation of Leadership

I trust that Dr. Llewellyn will keep his word, as my 13-year-old senior Papillon is under his professional care and is his responsibility. I hope that upon his return, he will recognize the importance of providing necessary vaccinations to an eight-week-old puppy, especially as she is being trained to be a certified service dog; I know Zoe will be mentoring her and passing on her legacy temperament. and training. My posts serve various purposes from necessary rants to personal documentation and they are vital to my mental health.

​This is a private, therapeutic journal I use as a grounding tool for my Complex PTSD and OCD. For me, OCD is characterized by uncontrollable, recurring thoughts that will not stop until I get them out, often by writing them down immediately to break the cycle of repetition. Using this blog as a tool for cognitive behavioral techniques allows me to organize these thoughts and calm my nervous system. When I am under extreme stress, my fibromyalgia flares, causing me severe physical pain that affects my ability to eat and sleep; writing is how I manage that.

​I have noticed a pattern My OCD makes me a very detailed person, and I have been paying close attention to every detail since 2024. Dr. Llewellyn is aware of my health struggles and has my doctor’s note on file. As the President of the Board of Directors, he holds the ultimate authority; while the Executive Director Kathy Powelson oversees daily operations, she works for the Board, not the other way around. I am seeking a review of this decision to ensure the well-being of my animals.

                                          

Paws for hope better together program When Personal Journals Are Used as Weapons:need for Professionalism and Reconsideration of My 13 year old senior Papillon Termination

​A Manufactured Excuse

It is deeply concerning that my private, therapeutic expressions have been monitored, nitpicked, and used as a manufactured excuse to terminate veterinary services for my 13-year-old senior dog. Actions speak louder than words, and the reality of this situation is defined by two things:

​Calculated Timing: The decision to terminate services was made while Doctor Llewellyn is away for three weeks. This timing appears to be an opportunistic move, as he is the one who took over Zoe's care, and Zoe is under his care.

​A Misplaced Focus: My blog is not a harassment campaign; it is a tool for my personal well-being. Using a client’s private health management journal to find reasons for termination is bizarre and invasive behavior for Kathy Powelson, the Executive Director, to take against a 13-year-old senior Papillon and a six-week-old puppy.

​The Welfare of My Animals

At the end of the day, this should be about the animals and about the care and welfare of my dogs. The fact that the focus has shifted to policing my personal writing instead of ensuring the well-being of a senior dog and a puppy is unacceptable.

​I left Dr. Llewellyn a message before he left ( which is recorded because I record there calls when I call Scottsdale Veterinary Hospital) about getting the puppy enrolled. As the Board of Directors president, I believe it is his decision to decide whether to take on the puppy, who is being trained to be a certified service dog. I had previously inquired about a puppy because Zoe, at her age, is showing signs that she will not pass the public access test for certification. I believe Dr. Llewellyn cares about my senior girl; that is why he took over her care when the previous vet was disrespectful and rude.

​Accountability and Advocacy

I truly believe that Dr. Llewellyn’s support has infuriated Kathy Powelson because she lost control. I have recorded calls because I saw this coming; I know Kathy Powelson is just waiting for an opportunity to terminate my senior girl. It is disgusting to terminate a 13-year-old dog. You can try to trigger me and provoke me to cause reactive abuse, but I will not give you what you want.

​This is not about me, and it is not about anyone else. This is about a 13-year-old senior dog and a 6-week-old puppy that I will be getting at eight weeks old to begin training with the help of the ministry. For you to try to take that away from me shows a lot about your character and intentions. You can terminate me, but I will fight it. I will do everything in my power to ensure that justice is served. I am a strong believer in the universe, and I know that it is watching this transpire.

​My Commitment

My puppy and my 13-year-old senior girl will not go without medical healthcare. I am on disability, and it is impossible for me to manage this care on my own. I will go without food to make sure my dogs have what they need. This termination is a scare tactic, but it will not work.

​No one can tell me what I can or cannot say. I am a 35-year-old woman, not a child, and I will not be treated like one. Kathy Powelson, you are the Executive Director, and I expect you to act with the professional standards that position requires. It is bizarre and deeply concerning that you are monitoring my private therapeutic journal to find excuses to terminate services. I have been in this program since 2021, and the constant turnover of staff is alarming; it is clear that something is not right when so many employees come and go. Furthermore, there must be someone in charge other than you while Dr. Llewellyn is away, especially given the rude, unprofessional, and accusatory way you communicate. I have the right to document my experiences and feelings, and it is not your place to police my persoknal journal.

Paws for hope better together program rebuttal

 Paws for Hope Better Together Program claim on my blog post content:

​The Termination Letter: They claim that my recent blog posts include "harassing and defamatory statements" about staff, specifically citing my posts as evidence.

​My Reality: My post is titled "Paws for Hope Better Together program rant". This is a space for me to vent my feelings, emotions, and thoughts as part of my cognitive behavioral techniques, which is a legitimate use of my personal blog, not harassment or defamation.

​Paws for Hope Better Together Program claim on Kathy Powelson’s reputation:

​The Termination Letter: They state that I have made disparaging and defamatory statements about the Executive Director, Kathy Powelson.

​My Reality: I am documenting the reality of my experience under her leadership and arguing that the program is not being run properly due to a lack of human resource support. Holding someone in a position of power accountable for their actions is not defamation; it is sharing my documented experience.

​Paws for Hope Better Together Program claim on program policy and puppy enrollment:

​The Termination Letter: They claim their refusal to enroll the puppy is based on a "longstanding policy" that prohibits adding animals after the initial enrollment due to funding constraints, and that this applies equally to all participants.

​My Reality: I explain in my blog that the organization does not have a human resource coordinator and that Kathy Powelson is refusing to help because she is biased against me due to my advocacy. I am showing that their policy is just an excuse to avoid helping me and my medically necessary animals.

​Paws for Hope Better Together Program claim on my behavior:

​The Termination Letter: They allege I have engaged in "harassing and unprofessional conduct" toward staff.

​My Reality: I maintain that this is a retaliatory, manipulative tactic used to silence my legitimate advocacy. My assertiveness is not harassment; it is an attempt to hold the organization accountable for their actions.

Here is what I wrote in the blog post I also have the blog post posted as well.But I'll post it here on the below Blog post "Truthfulness" (including the "Paws for Hope Better Together program rant") dated July 5, 2026 :

​

​I am making this post. I just kind of want to vent my feelings, emotions, and thoughts. The reality is that the Paws for Hope: Better Together program is not being properly run. You do not run a program without a human resource coordinator, and that has been the case since I have been in the program.

​Kathy Powelson does not prioritize animals or people. If she cared about animals or people, she would not be triggering people who suffer with complex PTSD. She knows I am already struggling with severe fibromyalgia, severe complex PTSD, and severe OCD. She knows how hard it is for me, yet she actively triggers and provokes me. This has led to what is known as reactive abuse. Reactive abuse occurs when a person is pushed to a breaking point by someone else's manipulation, hostility, or mistreatment, eventually causing them to react in an uncharacteristic way such as becoming defensive which the original aggressor then uses to paint that person as the problem. I would not be doing this if she had not caused this reaction. Yet, when I asked for help, she said, "No." What type of reaction does she think she is going to get from an owner that has that puppy and is terrified?

​If Kathy Powelson is an executive director and is denying a 10-week-old puppy vaccines, that shows exactly what type of person she is. That 100% shows her character. If she does not want to help a puppy, she should not be an executive director. She is supposed to abide by the contract just as much as we are as clients. She is not doing that. Just because the puppy is not enrolled in the Paws for Hope: Better Together program does not mean she cannot help an animal that needs vaccines. She is just refusing to do it because she is biased against me. She does not like me because I speak up, I advocate for my medically necessary dog who has a physician's note and my puppy. I do not allow Kathy Powelson to talk down to me. I do not allow her to get away with things. I address things, I show proof and evidence, and I document everything. I have severe OCD, so I always have the proof and evidence to back up what I say. I am not a liar. I do not manipulate, I do not gaslight people, and I do not treat people poorly. I believe in karma. What comes around goes around.

​Kathy Powelson has traumatized me and caused me a great deal of trauma, and her refusal to act while knowing the medical risk to my puppy is a failure of leadership. I reached out to the board of directors president, Dr. Llewellyn who is my senior girl's vet and took on her care and I left him a message before I knew he was leaving for three weeks. He is away, which puts Kathy in total power. And with her in charge, of course, nothing is going to get done. Of course, I am not going to get help or support. I have not been able to sleep, I have not been able to eat, and I am constantly scared of what the repercussions are. I am sure that there are other individuals in the Paws for Hope: Better Together program who are just as scared to stand up or say anything.

​Kathy Powelson's suggestion of a clinic in Vancouver is not a solution. It is not supposed to open for months, and a 10-week-old puppy cannot wait that long for vaccines. She knows this. She also knows I rely solely on HandyDART for transportation, and that an 8-hour round trip is physically impossible with my fibromyalgia. She knows that HandyDART strictly refuses to allow my senior girl on the bus because she is not a certified service dog a policy I am actively fighting at the Human Rights Tribunal. Kathy Powelson knows I cannot access these things, yet she offers them to make it look like she’s helping.

​Kathy Powelson continues to weaponize false allegations and interaction against me.

​I am just one person, but I know I am not the only one being mistreated. Many are likely too terrified to speak out, fearing retaliation. Kathy Powelson needs to be held accountable for her actions, her reactions, and the way she treats clients. My dogs are my life, and I will do whatever it takes to ensure they are safe and my senior girl cannot be removed from the program. Pause for hope. Better together program for me, writing a blog and writing about my experience. I wanna make that very clear. There is no way that my senior girl is going to suffer due to me, creating a blog and talking about my experience, like I stayed, I have the email, and I put it in one of my posts where it states that they were doing story on cbc news about the program.And they wanted people that were enrolled in the program to talk about their experience.Well, here I am talking about my experience.

Furthermore, I want to be clear that this is my own personal blog and social media platform. I am fully entitled to share my own life experiences whether they involve the Paws for Hope: Better Together program, HandyDART, or the Human Rights Tribunal and there is nothing in my contract that prohibits me from speaking honestly about my experiences or the behavior of staff. I am not creating drama or fabricating anything; I am sharing my truth, backed by the emails and recordings I have documented. This blog is a necessary outlet for my mental health, and I will continue to advocate for myself and my dogs when I am being mistreated triggered and provoked and react of abuse is real and has been going on for a long time.

Paws for hope better together program Global news story ....

 ​I recently came across a news segment featuring Kathy Powelson in the media, where Kathy Powelson was discussing the reality that Canadian families are finding it increasingly difficult to maintain pet ownership due to rising costs. It is quite a sight to see Kathy Powelson in the public eye advocating for the struggles of families, while meanwhile, Kathy Powelson is the same person who terminated my 13 year old senior dog and who will not enroll my puppy into the Paws for Hope Better Together program.

​It simply does not make sense. On one hand, Kathy Powelson is out there on the news raising awareness and seemingly begging for donations from the public to help animals. On the other hand, Kathy Powelson is actively causing me to struggle by denying my medically necessary 13 year old senior dog support and refusing to enroll my puppy into the Paws for Hope Better Together program. I specifically sought this puppy to be trained as a certified service dog to help me manage my fibromyalgia, complex PTSD, and OCD. By denying this enrollment, Kathy Powelson is directly hindering my ability to access the support I need for my health.

​How can Kathy Powelson advocate for the struggles of pet owners in the media while simultaneously creating those same struggles for others? Kathy Powelson is making it harder for a family on a disability income to care for their animals, which is the exact opposite of the narrative Kathy Powelson presents to the world. I am writing this in my journal because I am trying to make sense of these conflicting actions. When an organization claims to be about supporting animals and families, but then turns its back on a disabled person in need, I am left to process the reality of that situation for myself and my dogs.