Improper Termination
Request for Board Member Review: Enrollment Agreement Compliance : Laura.
Dear board members,
I am writing to formally appeal the termination of my services from the Better Together program, issued via a letter dated July 6th, 2026. This termination is an improper breach of the Enrollment Agreement and Consent Form that I signed on August 16, 2021.
The termination is based entirely on an organizational overreach that attempts to apply non existent policies to my personal life outside of the program's scope. I am allowed to write about whatever I want outside of the program the organization cannot control or police what I do in my private time. I am only required to abide by the rules inside the program.
The grounds for my appeal are clear and based strictly on the text of our contract:
1. Contractual Definition of "Program Environment"
The termination letter relies heavily on expressions made on my independent, personal blog. However, Section 3(a)(iii) of the signed Enrollment Agreement explicitly limits the scope of participant conduct to the "program environment":
“I acknowledge the need to treat everyone, including any Veterinary Service Provider and staff members, and the Human Support Coordinator ( which doesn't exist ), with ongoing respect. Paws for Hope is firmly committed to ensuring a positive and professional program environment...”
A personal blog is independent digital property; it is not the "program environment." The program environment encompasses direct operational interactions such as talking to staff on the phone, interacting at the office, or attending appointments at a veterinary clinic. I have fully abided by the code of conduct within the actual program environment. The organization does not have the jurisdiction to dictate my behavior outside of it.
2. Enforcement of Non-Existent Policies
The termination letter cites a "funding-based accountability policy" and a "zero-tolerance policy for defamatory, malicious statements" in public spaces.
Per Section 6(a) of our contract, termination of coverage is strictly conditional upon a "failure to comply with the acknowledgment and agreements outlined in this document."
A thorough review of the Enrollment Agreement reveals that no such policies exist within the contract. There are no social media policy and no public disparagement clause. The organization cannot retroactively invent rules outside of the signed agreement to strip away essential veterinary care from an enrolled animal.
Conclusion and Requested Remedy
Because the writing in question occurred entirely outside the environment of the program, and because the policies cited to justify termination are completely absent from our signed contract, this termination is invalid. A participant cannot be terminated based on a blog post that is completely outside the scope and environment of the program.
I am requesting:
An immediate review of this improper termination by the board members.
A formal review of this file by Dr. Llewellyn immediately upon his return.
The immediate reinstatement of services for my dog, Zoe, as mandated by our active agreement.
I have attached copies of both the signed Better Together Enrollment Agreement and the termination letter for your immediate review.
Regarding the blog post referenced in the termination papers, it has now been removed. Legally, I was under no obligation to take it down because it was written completely outside the environment of the program, but I went ahead and did it anyway. What any participant does outside the scope of the program is their own business and cannot be used against them, meaning this termination is not legally valid and my enrollment continues. I have strictly followed the contract I signed in 2021, and I am confident that Dr. Llewellyn will review this correspondence and see that I am in full compliance. Furthermore, if the organization intends to make serious accusations regarding my conduct, I require the specific names, dates, times, and locations of those alleged incidents within the actual program environment so that I have the proper opportunity to defend myself against unproven claims.
Thank you.
Sincerely, Laura.
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