CodaPet provides a compassionate end-of-life option at home for pets

CodaPet, a company providing compassionate, in-home pet euthanasia services through a network of licensed, local veterinarians, has expanded to Cedar Rapids. Dr. Danielle Hundley, Cedar Rapids CodaPet veterinarian who also works for BluePearl Pet Hospital, joins a network of veterinarians providing services in Des Moines, Iowa City and Ames. “I feel strongly that pets, because they have given us a lifetime of love, deserve to have compassionate passing in a place where they feel safe and around people that they are loved by,” Dr. Hundley said. “In-home euthanasia does allow for that. They're not stressed being taken away from their moms and dads to be prepared for the procedure. They're not in a sterile environment that smells of other scared animals. They're in their happy place.” The company was founded in 2022 by veterinarians Karen Whala, Bethany Hsia and Gary Hsia in Fresno, California.

“CODA comes from the musical term for the tail-end of a movement or a piece, which I feel really leans into the idea that even though euthanasia is always a goodbye or a farewell, I can't make it not sad. It's by nature. That's how it is,” Dr. Bethany Hsia said. “But there is beauty and meaning in that moment that can be brought to the surface – shining a light on that love that has been there and continues to be there.” Nationally, CodaPet has more than 100 licensed veterinarians in its network and adds approximately four to six a month, she said.

Cafe’s experience

Trissa Pearson adopted her dog, Cafe, in June 2016 when he was eight weeks old. “I hadn't really been looking for a pet, but he had some medical issues and needed care. After I got him healthy, he just stayed,” Ms. Pearson wrote the CBJ in an email. “If I'm being honest though, I fell in love with him as soon as I met him and knew he was mine.” Described as a kind, friendly, happy dog, Cafe became a constant companion for Ms. Pearson, acting as a “heated, breathing, weighted blanket” when she felt stressed or anxious.

“Many times he's helped me sleep, when I couldn't fall asleep on my own,” she wrote. Some of her favorite memories of Cafe stem from their annual vacation to Pensacola Beach. “He loved to catch the waves and jump on them as they rolled in. He loved laying in the sand and rolling around in it too,” she said. Cafe became plagued with arthritis and torn ligaments. When he developed an infection in one of his joints, Ms. Pearson could see that his quality of life was diminished from constant pain and made the tough decision to euthanize him. “I wasn’t ready to let him go,” she wrote. After finding CodaPet online, she reached out to Dr. Hundley to euthanize Cafe at home. “It gave me peace that I was able to do this for him,” she said.

Seeking peaceful end-of-life options

An Iowa State graduate, earning both her undergraduate degree in 2009 and her DVM in 2013 before attaining a master’s in emergency and critical care medicine at Purdue University, Dr. Hundley brings eight years of experience in small animal practice with an emphasis on critical care.

Her passion for animal care began at a young age with her love for Lady, her family’s Chow Chow. “I was always closer to pets than people from a young age,” she said. Determined to become a veterinarian, she focused on earning top grades throughout school, eventually gaining her first clinical experience through Kirkwood Community College’s Workplace Connection program. “(It) really cemented that I liked the fast-paced environment of some of the emergency cases.” Her interest in end-of-life care began when she considered how her 12-year-old English Labrador Retriever, Cash, would spend his eventual last moments. She didn’t want his experience to be marked with fear and uncertainty, but with the peace and tranquility that comes from being in a familiar environment. “I was like, well, gosh, I'm a veterinarian, and I want that for my own pets, why wouldn't another family want that for their families?” she said. A colleague from Des Moines encouraged her to join CodaPet, which offered a way to serve the community while also embracing entrepreneurship.

Service allows pet owners to dictate pace

Dr. Hundley services Linn, Jones, Johnson, Benton and occasionally Black Hawk and Bremer counties. “I usually need a two hour heads up to be able to come up to a home, but people can schedule it out as far as a couple of weeks ahead, if they know that they want to schedule it,” Dr. Hundley said. Prior to the appointment, Dr. Hundley contacts the family to ask if they have any questions or concerns. Once arriving, she assesses the pet's health to ensure there is no uncertainty about the need for euthanasia, and answers any additional questions. When pet owners confirm they want to move forward with the procedure, the medication is administered. “And then after the pet is deceased, we confirm that they're deceased. And I'll usually step away to give the family some privacy to grieve for a few moments,” Dr. Hundley said. Depending on size, the pet is placed in a basket or on a stretcher and loaded into Dr. Hundley’s vehicle for final disposition. The starting price of in-home euthanasia is $300 with optional cremation ranging from $150 - $375, depending on the pet's weight and cremation type. Dr. Hundley partners with Companions for Life, a pet cremation service that offers the families keepsakes such as a framed pawprint or customized urn for an additional price. “(Dr. Hundley) treated both Cafe and I with such kindness and respect. I really appreciated that because Cafe meant the world to me and he deserved the absolute best when he passed over and Dr. Hundley delivered in spades,” wrote Ms. Pearson. “She treated him as if he were one of her animals and gave him love and treated him with dignity. This was one of the hardest things I've ever had to do, but Dr. Hundley made my sad situation the best experience I could've hoped for…I'm so grateful for this service, allowing Cafe to pass at home where he and I were comfortable. It meant the world to me," she continued. In addition to dogs and cats, Ms. Hundley extends her services to other small mammals such as hamsters, mice, gerbils, rats, guinea pigs, pygmy hedgehogs, sugar gliders and ferrets. To learn more about CodaPet, visit www.codapet.com.