Dr. Jaime Pickett

My cat, who was around 12 or 13 years old and had an inoperable brain tumor, got really sick around Christmas, and a few days later it became clear to me that I might have to consider humane euthanasia to give my cat a peaceful transition. By December 28, 2024, my cat’s health had declined significantly and she could no longer stand up on her own and was no longer eating any food. Because it was a Saturday, my cat’s regular vet wasn’t open, so I had to resort to googling “at home euthanasia near me” in hopes of finding a provider that could come to my house as quickly as possible (I didn’t want my baby’s last moments to be at the emergency vet — a place she really didn’t like). Unfortunately for me, the first result that came up in my google results was CodaPet. I deeply regret using this service and I wouldn’t recommend them (or Dr. Jaime Pickett) to anyone looking for at home euthanasia services in Richmond, VA. CodaPet’s website and Google profile only had good reviews, so I figured my cat would be in good hands — boy was I wrong!!!! Dr. Pickett came to my house and performed the euthanasia on schedule, but didn’t provide any information about the medications being administered or what I should expect during the process. At least the process itself was relatively quick. After the appointment, Dr. Pickett took my cat with her and didn’t provide any details to me about the expected timing for receiving her ashes or about the crematorium where my cat would be taken. She also didn’t explain whether the mementos (a clay paw print and tuft of fur) that I ordered would be handled by her or by the crematorium. The lack of information made it extremely difficult for me to follow up on my cat’s cremation and the mementos that I ordered. I had to call CodaPet MULTIPLE times to receive information about my cat’s cremation and the timing. Eventually, I found out the name of the crematorium (Agape) and they told me that Dr. Pickett did NOT include a clay paw print or tuft of fur on my order form so they did not do that before cremating my cat. Of course, this startling revelation TRAUMATIZED me and I followed up with CodaPet IMMEDIATELY to have Dr. Pickett contact me. Dr. Pickett then belatedly explained that she handles the clay paw prints and tuft of fur herself for “quality control” to ensure “good quality”. Almost 3 weeks later, I finally received my cat’s ashes. Dr. Pickett told me she would hand my cat’s ashes back to me directly, but of course she didn’t follow through with that and instead she callously handed my cat’s ashes to a receptionist downstairs in my building’s leasing office. When I opened the bag with my cat’s ashes, it became clear to me why Dr. Pickett chose to leave my baby’s ashes with the receptionist instead of handing them to me directly — the clay paw print that I was so desperately yearning for was nothing like I would’ve imagined. The clay was dirty and stained and had random black ink markings and scribbles on it which had nothing to do with my cat (it looked like ink that had just been spilled on several areas of the clay and the clay was a dirty yellow color). **TLDR** // By providing awful customer service and an AWFUL clay paw print that I can’t even keep due to it looking filthy and old, CodaPet and Dr. Pickett not only disrespected me and the memory of my cat, but she also deprived me of the one lasting memory I would’ve otherwise had of my cat’s paw. I cannot recommend CodaPet’s or Dr. Pickett’s services to anyone. Please don’t make the same mistake I did.

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Jan 19 2025 by Melissa Olivo