Mobile Pet Service Brings Compassionate End-Of-Life Care To Annapolis Families

ANNAPOLIS, MD — A new mobile veterinary service offering at-home end-of-life care has expanded into Annapolis, giving residents the chance to say goodbye to a beloved pet without the stress of being in an unfamiliar environment.

CodaPet, a veterinarian-owned network based out of California, was founded in 2022 as a means to provide "peaceful in-home pet euthanasia." Since its launch, the network has provided services to more than 100 cities across the nation.

While there is no brick-and-mortar base in Annapolis, pet owners can contract the end-of-life services through CodaPet's Annapolis website. There, residents submit details on their pet's health history and note how they prefer the remains to be handled, which ranges between cremation and an at-home burial.

The at-home service came underway in February, with Dr. Carolyn Yang serving as CodaPet's go-to Annapolis provider.

Working as an emergency veterinarian for more than a decade, Yang told Patch that CodaPet was "definitely a needed service" in the area, as the majority of the cases she's worked on over the last five months were urgent in nature.

What Happens On The Day?

After the pet's medical history is uploaded to CodaPet's online portal and a day is picked for the at-home visit, Yang told Patch that she gets in touch with pet parents at least a day before the home visit to introduce herself and address any questions about the process.

On the day, she conducts a brief but mostly visual physical exam, giving pet parents a rundown every step of the way.

"They choose what room they want to be in, how they want the pet situated, and I try to work as much as I can around them," Yang said. " I try to see what works best."

"The goal is always to get them anesthetized, meaning that they are completely rendered unconscious, that they can't feel anything, and that's how it becomes a very peaceful transition," Yang said.

Depending on the pet's medical condition, drugs are administered either intravenously or via injection. It's not until a few moments later that Yang confirms the drugs took effect by checking reflexes and listening to the pet's heart.

"I will leave the house for however long they need to just have some privacy and say goodbye, and then they'll let me know when they're ready for me," she said.

In the event a family opts for cremation, Yang takes possession of the pet and works directly with a crematorium to ensure the family's wishes are carried out.

Counseling Pet Parents Through The Decision

In her 13 years as an emergency veterinarian, Yang told Patch that she has encountered cases where she chose to turn down a euthanasia request.

Although rare and a decision that she hasn't had to make with CodaPet clients, she explained the incidents occurred when a pet appeared healthy and medical records didn't align with the scope of a euthanasia case.

When assessing cases, it ultimately boils down to one question: how is the pet's quality of life?

While every case presents its own unique circumstances, Yang told Patch that counseling pet owners is key to the job, and that sometimes it means really breaking down the pet's day-to-day.

Some questions she's found herself asking include:

• Is the pet mostly uncomfortable and in pain?
• Are you having to clean them up because they can't get up?
• Are they mobile?
• Are they drinking and eating?

"It just kind of gives the pet parents some parameters to try to figure out what's going on. It can be hard, especially in cases where it's a chronic disease," she said.

"I think a lot of the time it's helping a pet parent potentially realize that the quality of life has diminished to the point of where the pet is not necessarily enjoying life."

"In the end, it is their decision. They know this pet the best. Our job is to answer questions and try to give them as much information to make that decision to the best of their ability," she said.

Annapolis residents wanting to sign up for CodaPet can do so online.

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