Comforting your pet at the end: Ithaca vet offers in-home euthanasia

Letting go of a pet is never easy, but to Dr. Glen Jackson, it's a normal process of life, that should be made as painless as possible on both pets and pet owners.

Since May, he's been offering at home pet euthanasia services in Ithaca and surrounding areas through CodaPet, a company founded a nation away.

“The first time I heard about it was through Facebook, I saw that one of my classmates from vet school started this company called CodaPet; she made euthanasia at home her full-time job, and I thought that was interesting but didn’t really think much of it,” said Jackson, a veterinarian and supervisor of Cornell University's Center for Animal Resources and Education.

The veterinarian-owned California-based startup set out in 2022 to create a network of vets who provide peaceful, in-home euthanasia to ease the passing of pets at home, and empowered Jackson to service Ithaca and surrounding municipalities through CodaPet, including Rochester, Syracuse, Binghamton, Utica, Elmira, Endicott, Fairport, Rome, Auburn, Baldwinsville, Cortland, Fulton, Vestal, and Oneonta.

“Maybe 6 months to a year later, I got a phone call from a neighbor who was really concerned about her dog, she wasn’t able to use her back legs, and they wanted to have her put to sleep but they didn’t want the stress of having to take her into a vet clinic. They thought it would work best if I went over to administer euthanasia. It was kind of a wakeup call to me that there are people in the area, and other people in Ithaca that might be interested in that.”

How it works

In Ithaca, the cost of in-home euthanasia starts at $300 while after care begins at $50 with prices varying by size and weight of the pet patient, and their owners' chosen options for cremation. Jackson also offers out-of-hours appointments and can service dogs, cats, small mammals and reptiles & amphibians upon request.

Jackson was licensed to administer at-home euthanasia through the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) in May, and has since treated 14 pets with euthanasia through CodaPet in the Ithaca area.

The platform allows customers to book in-home appointments to have their pets euthanized in cases of mobility loss because of old age or injury, among other ailments.

“It’s a relatively quick and very painless process, the animal loses consciousness before anything else happens and that happens within a matter of minutes,” he said. “Every in-home euthanasia I’ve participated in has been a very peaceful process, but it’s been a bittersweet thing for me too. I feel the emotion of the clients, but I also recognize the peace and the closure they feel in that process.”

Even though he offers the service, Jackson said it’s not for everyone, and that going to a vet that both the pet owner and pet are comfortable with comes first.

“I think that most pet owners would consult with their regular veterinarian to find out what options are available in the clinic for euthanasia, and if their pet is comfortable, going to their regular vet, and If the client has strong repour with their usual vet, I think that’s ideal, but there are some situations where their vet isn’t available, or its difficult to transport the pet to a veterinarian, those are situations in which an in-home euthanasia might be beneficial for the owner and also the pet," he said.

Differences

The process is not very different through CodaPet or the vet's office.

“The technical aspects of it aren’t very different, the same medications and processes are used, but what differs is the surroundings, the tone and space for the family to be able to grieve in privacy as this is happening,” CodaPet Co-Founder Dr. Bethany Hisa said. "(The veterinarian) will speak with you for a few minutes to explain the process, ask a few questions have you done this before with other pets, getting to know you, then they greet the pet and get to know the pet a bit, give them medication - usually a cocktail of medications to keep the pet calm and reduce pains and anxiety - all that would happen in the clinic."

Hisa said that services through CodaPet use the same medications and procedures as a typical clinic visit for euthanasia, and an in-home euthanasia can be more comfortable than a clinic appointment for pets that can't or don't like to travel in cars.

“All of stress is removed, and the pet can be where they’re most comfortable, be it on a dog bed or outside underneath their favorite tree, wherever they feel comfortable as long as the vet can reach them and that simplifies saying goodbye for both the owners, and the pet.”

Pet owners can book an appointment through the CodaPet website, which will ask for information on the pet, and about any request for ash, hair, or paw print casts to remember them by.

“They can input information about their pet and what exactly they’re looking for,” Hsia said. “Some pet owners request to have ashes returned after cremation, for instance. A state licensed veterinarian will come and administer the medication.”

Normal process

Jacksons work, which he described as “his own side thing” has sparked the interest of others at Cornell.

“This is just something that I started on the side, I work full time at Cornell and on weekends and evenings I offer euthanasia through CodaPet,” he said. “I have a colleague here at Cornell that’s become interested in providing in-home euthanasia, and is going through the onboarding with CodaPet now, she’s submitted paperwork to federal agencies to get licensed to do that.”

Jackson said that he gets referrals from other veterinary service providers for in-home authorizations, including Stillwater Veterinary Services of Syracuse.

“One thing to know about CodaPet is that we like to see ourselves as partners with our local veterinary colleagues,” Jackson said. “When I help to euthanize a client’s pet, I will reach out to their regular vet, send them a notification that the owner called me about this service and that the pet passed away peacefully on this date, so that they are able to maintain that animals’ personal records and the client is able to have that regular relationship with their local vet.”

Although euthanasia could be seen as the ending to a pet’s story, Jackson said he sees it as a peaceful way to provide closure to those who care for an aging or ill animal.

“I don’t see euthanasia or death, as a bad thing, I see it as a normal process of life, and I have the opportunity to help make it as peaceful as possible for both the owner and the pet,” he said. “It’s been a very rewarding experience for me. I’ve met amazing people and amazing animals, and that’s what veterinary medicine is about for me, the connection between people and animals.”

This article originally appeared on Ithaca Journal: Comforting your pet at the end: Ithaca vet offers in-home euthanasia