Why I provide at-home pet euthanasia
Making the decision to euthanize a beloved pet is never an easy decision. But it is often one of the kindest decisions we can make for them. With my own pets, I have experienced euthanasia both in a clinical setting and at home. The kindness and support provided by the veterinarians in both situations has always been incredible, but I felt that being in my own home provided a level of comfort and familiarity for both me and my pets that can’t be replicated outside the home. I am honored to be able to provide a similar experience for other families and help make their pets’ transition from this world as peaceful as possible.
Education
Undergraduate: University of Florida - 2000
Veterinary Medicine: University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine - 2005
Certifications
2Virginia Veterinary Medical Association Member, CAETA's CPEV (Certified Peaceful Euthanasia Veterinarian)
- Based InChester, VA
- Service areasRichmond, VA and surrounding areas
- Work Experience20+ years
- Animals ServedAll Dogs & Cats
- Notice Required3 hours
General availability
Monday10:00 am - 4:00 pm
Availability each week can vary based on demand and scheduling. Please provide a minimum 2 hour advance notice for all bookings.
Services provided
At home pet euthanasia
Dr. Angela Schmillen will help your beloved pet transition peacefully in the comfort of of their home, surrounded by loved ones
Est. CostStarting at $350
Keepsakes
Clay paw prints, wooden urns with personalizations available with ashes returned
Est. CostStarting at $60
What pet parents are saying
If you are looking for kind, compassion in home pet euthanasia, I would definitely recommend this company. Dr. Angela Schwimmer came out last weekend and was amazing with our Lhasa apso Sampson. She was gentle, loving and really gave us the peace of mind that we were doing the right thing. It was so comfortable for him to pass at home instead of a sterile office. The whole process was seamless and the respect she showed him and us was so appreciated during such a hard time.
When the dreaded day came of my best friend, George, looking me in the eyes as if to say "mom, I can't fight this cancer anymore," I found that I didn't know where to turn. Similarly to many dogs, George did not like the vet and I wanted to offer him the opportunity to pass peacefully in his home rather than stressed at the vet's clinic. Additionally, I was unsure if I would be able to manage even getting him to the vet. After a quick google search, I found CodaPet, which happened to have same-day availability with Dr. Angela. Given that I had never used this company, nor had I heard of it, I was skeptical, but decided to give Dr. Angela a chance. Dr. Angela was amazing every step of the way! Upon scheduling the appointment, Dr. Angela reached out offering to answer any and all questions that I had, allowing me to mentally process the impending loss and the process of euthanasia, cremation, etc. She was patient, had excellent communication, was sympathetic, and caring. Dr. Angela even continued communication after the euthanasia and cremation to inform me of the arrival of George's remains at his normal vet's office and ensured I had no further needs. She even went above and beyond reaching out to the cremation company to ask them a question that I had for them. Then, after all of that, she sent my girlfriend and I a handwritten card that was touching to both of us, even remembering my girlfriend's name, which was only given verbally upon meeting. There are not enough words to truly describe the gift that she gave the three of us as she gave us a peaceful goodbye in a place that George loved so much. I am forever grateful for her kindness and to make something so heartbreaking a lot less stressful.
When our French bulldog Roxen was diagnosed with Stage 5 IVDD and could no longer walk with in a matter of two days and was in extreme pain even with the meds our vet had given us to the point where I could not even move him without him yelping in agony, we had to make the difficult decision to put him down in a short time frame. It was not an easy decision and was even harder being over the weekend with our normal vet not being very helpful to us in our opinion. So after doing research and looking around at places that could do it, my mom told me of a friend of hers that had gotten an in home euthanasia. At the time I had never heard of it and I had never had to be the one to put a family pet down, so I looked around at a couple of different places on the internet after a google search. Most websites made it more difficult to schedule a time for a vet to come and visit, but with codapet.com it was actually very user friendly. So on Sunday morning after having a rough night with our beloved roxen, I set the initial appointment up for the first available for my area which was on Tuesday. Within moments I received emails and texts confirming the appointment. Dr. Schmillen reached out to me after reading our story of what had been happening to our boy Roxen and said that she could come sooner if we needed. At the time we were still thinking about going to an emergency vet place we had never been where we were going to have to move Roxen who yelped in pain whenever I tried to move him, so when she said she could come sooner I asked if she could come the same day and she said yes. She came within a few hours and was very respectful and understanding about what was going on and explained the whole process to our family. Her coming to the house on such short notice really shows how much she cares for pets and their families that have to go through this difficult time. She helped make this hard decision for us a little easier and words cannot express how grateful we are for her and the service they provide. Being able to be in your home and having your beloved pet be surrounded by all of their loved ones including our other dog Jax was a blessing. The whole process took a couple of hours and it was much easier for him to be laid to rest in his favorite bed surrounded by us instead of being on a cold table in a strange place with only a few of us being with him. I will suggest this process to everyone I know and I will only do it this way if I ever have to do it again (although I am hoping I never have to again). Dr. Angela was very kind to the whole family and took her time. She helped us and our young daughter (12) understand everything that was going on and made the whole process a little easier. I cannot say enough how grateful we are for her and the service they provide.
Dr. Schmillen was just who we needed during the difficult time of euthanizing our beloved Bailey. She was very compassionate and empathetic and made this process as easy as possible.
I cannot say enough about Dr. Angela that could explain how truly wonderful she is. My 16 year old maine coon/teddy bear mix developed a large lung tumor, which sadly forced us to make the heartbreaking decision to have him put to rest once it started to noticeably affect his breathing & quality of life. I was able to request a same day appointment. She arrived right on time,& took so much time with us and our sweet baby, Chance. He was not afraid & that was one of my biggest worries. She treated us like family, and you can tell she genuinely takes great care of animals and their fur parents. I would/will recommend her to everyone I know. Thank you so much Dr. Angela.
I unfortunately recently had to use CodaPet's services for my 15-year-old Beagle. Booking was very easy to do on their website. Having it done in my house made the process so much easier on my family and my other dogs. I am so thankful for the professional and compassionate care provided by Dr. Angela Schmillen! She helped to make a heartbreaking situation the best that it could be. I would absolutely recommend her to anyone needing at-home pet euthanasia.
