“Kind Reminder”: Your Grief Theater Is Showing
A woman died, and you used it as a passive-aggressive dig at me. Sit down.
Last night, while scrolling through Facebook before bed, I came across a post that stopped me in my tracks. It was a tribute to Mikayla Raines, founder of Save A Fox Rescue, who recently passed away by suicide. I had never heard of Mikayla Raines or her rescue before yesterday. But after reading her story and the tributes shared in her honor, it’s clear she was deeply passionate about her mission and bravely open about her experiences with autism and mental health. Her loss is devastating, and the rescue community is mourning a remarkable advocate. The post was thoughtful, emotional, and clearly written with love. But it was followed by something I found both inappropriate and deeply disturbing: a tag directed at me, accompanied by the phrase “kind reminder.”
That tag came from a woman named Kaley, someone I do not know and who has never attempted to contact me directly. Rather than using the tribute post to mourn or uplift Mikayla’s memory, she used it as a passive-aggressive attempt to silence me—to draw a comparison between my investigative reporting and the harassment that contributed to Mikayla’s death.
That is not advocacy. That is exploitation.
Let me be clear:
I have never spoken to Sonya King.
I have never harassed Sonya King.
I have repeatedly reached out through proper channels to offer Sonya, her legal representatives, and Two by Two Rescue the opportunity to respond to the allegations brought to me.
These stories were not solicited. They were brought to me by people who experienced them firsthand—fosters, adopters, volunteers, and former staff. I did not go searching for controversy. I listened, I documented, and I verified what could be verified.
Using the death of a rescuer to insinuate that those speaking up about unethical practices are responsible for someone else’s suffering is not only manipulative—it is harmful. It distracts from the very real issues that need addressing in rescue work: accountability, transparency, and animal welfare.
The next episode of Catey Unfiltered is still in production. Like many of you, I balance a career and a family, and editing takes time. But when it releases, you will hear the detailed story of a dog who was removed from a loving foster home prepared to adopt her—not because it was best for the dog, but because a donor requested her. Mind you, per Two by Two’s own website, the foster get’s priority on adopting.
That is not rescue. That is favoritism, and it undermines trust in the entire system.
Enter Tabitha…
Following this situation, I received a comment from Tabitha Robinson, acting director of Two by Two Rescue, despite the fact she has been sent a cease and desist. She chose to publicly compare my reporting to the harassment that led to Mikayla’s death. She accused me of twisting facts, sharing rumors, and pursuing a personal agenda. She claimed I have caused harm through my platform.
See my Facebook content here: Catey Watson Hall on Facebook
I will not quote the entire comment, but its tone was emotionally charged and accusatory, filled with references to trauma, grief, and private moments that have no bearing on the actual concerns raised about her organization.
Here is what I will say:
I stand by my reporting.
I have not twisted facts. I have shared documented, corroborated accounts.
The sources I’ve worked with came forward voluntarily, many of them reluctantly, out of concern for both the animals and the people being harmed.
It is entirely possible to mourn Mikayla, to be angry about her death, and to demand better behavior from rescue leaders all at the same time. These things are not mutually exclusive.
Calling out misconduct is not the same as causing harm. If your instinct when confronted with uncomfortable truths is to equate accountability with abuse, then perhaps you should reconsider the role you're playing in your organization and in your community.
Let Mikayla rest in peace. Let her memory be honored by supporting the rescue she built. Her husband Ethan continues her work at www.saveafox.org, and your donations there will directly benefit the animals she loved.
Until next time,
Stay unfiltered, friends.