“Do you know what the most addictive substance is known to humankind? It’s hope.” – Dr. Sarah Hoggan, Chief Veterinary Officer at Jasper
My decision to bring on Dr. Sarah Hoggan as Chief Veterinary Officer marks a major step forward in Jasper’s mission to normalize pet loss grief. A former emergency vet and grief psychology expert with two TEDx talks on the subject, Dr. Hoggan brings both scientific insight and deep compassion to the role—reinforcing the platform’s foundation as a trusted home for healing.
In our first livestream together, Dr. Hoggan and I tackle the hardest questions: how to know when it’s time to say goodbye, how to live with guilt, and how to find meaning after loss. Dr. Hoggan reframes euthanasia not as defeat, but as deep and loving mercy:
“People act like it’s right versus wrong. It’s not a binary decision. Whenever you are making a decision and putting your pet’s needs above your own, then it’s the right decision… [It’s saying] ‘Because I love you enough, I can’t bear to see you hurt or feel sick anymore. So I’m going to take all that pain and even more, and I’m going to carry that now.’”
She explains that the act of letting go—however painful—is the final expression of love. Grief, she says, isn’t something to “get over” but something to integrate.
Dr. Hoggan’s perspective reminds us that pet loss grief is real, valid, and deserving of community. Her work explores what many of us feel, but can’t articulate: that we carry our animals forward with us, as stories in what she calls our “love library.”
Watch the full interview above for Dr. Hoggan’s insights on compassion, euthanasia as mercy, and the power of community in healing.
Jasper is a community for those navigating one of life’s most disenfranchised forms of grief. Through live Q&As, educational content, and one-on-one support, Jasper helps pet owners process guilt, regret, and love in all its complexity. At its core, Jasper’s message is simple but radical: grief deserves space, not silence. Sign up here. community.jaspergrief.com
