Dr. Jenn Roedig

So nice to meet you! First off, what’s your name? Tell our readers a bit about yourself—where you’re from originally and where you live now.

I’m Dr. Jenn Roedig, an end-of-life focused veterinarian who is passionate about end-of-life planning for pets and anticipatory grief support for pet parents. I’m originally from Cincinnati, OH, and am currently based in Harrison, OH. I share my home with my husband Eric, our two boys, and two senior cats named Reese and C-3PO.

Tell us one thing you love about where you live now.

One thing I love about where I live now is that it has a small-town feel but is also pretty close to the city and other local attractions.

Tell us a little more about what your company does and how it started. How does it help your customers?

My company, Sage Paws, provides virtual 1:1 end-of-life planning for pets and anticipatory grief support for pet parents. I have been deeply passionate about end-of-life care for pets ever since I was in veterinary school, where I first learned about it. It was the first time since starting veterinary school that I felt like I had found my niche. I was immediately drawn to that work and knew deep within my soul that that is what I was meant to do. And as I began my career, I only felt that passion deepen and the calling to do that work grow stronger. When I started doing in-home end-of-life care for pets, what I found was I really enjoyed being able to provide pet parents with the emotional support they so desperately needed during one of the most difficult times they’ll ever face as a pet owner. And when they had that support, it seemed to make that time just a little bit easier for them.

I started my business after I had burnt out for the third time in my veterinary career. I was feeling stuck in a job that I was less than passionate about, finding myself thinking, “There’s got to be more to life than this.” And then the pandemic hit. It was a huge wake-up call and I felt things shift for me. It opened my eyes and put a lot of things into perspective for me, especially that life is just way too unpredictable, that we’re not guaranteed tomorrow or even 30 seconds from now. It made me realize that life is way too short, far shorter than I think a lot of people realize, and that time is so precious and fleeting. We all think we have so much time, but the thing is, we never really know how long we’ve got. Far too short to continue to sit back and live a comfortable, “safe” life. And that time is far too precious a commodity to waste. Once it’s gone, it’s gone. You can never get it back. It was the catalyst for me to do some major soul searching. I wanted to get back to doing work that I was super passionate about, work that lit my heart and soul on fire, work that was fulfilling my true calling and purpose for being put on this earth. And for me, that was end-of-life care for pets. But I knew I didn’t want to offer in-home care. I wanted to be able to work from anywhere, and that’s when I found life coaching. I was immediately drawn to it and wondered how I might blend the two together. The job I was working had shut down for 6 weeks during the pandemic, so I started journaling and self-reflecting, writing every single thought, feeling, and desire down. My husband and I started taking long walks and spending a lot of time at the park, and it was on these walks that we would talk about our goals, hopes, dreams, the life we wanted to create, and the vision we had for our future. It was on those walks where my vision and dream started to take shape. It was on those walks that I started the work I needed to do to turn my dream into a reality. Slowly but surely the idea for Sage Paws began to take shape, and with time, patience, consistency, commitment, perseverance, and hard work, the idea that I had became a reality.

Sage Paws combines emotional preparation and support with practical planning and guidance to help pet parents and caregivers create an end-of-life plan for their pet and support them through anticipatory grief, so they can be more present, cherish the time they have left, and look back on this time with few regrets. I support them before the loss occurs to help them find clarity and feel more certain about what to focus on and look for, to understand that they’re not crazy for grieving a living pet, and to learn how to plan and prepare to lose their pet. I help them honor, maintain, and deepen the love, bond, and connection they share with their beloved pet. I help them do things their way, drowning out the noise of what they “should” and “shouldn’t” do or how they “should” or “shouldn’t” feel during this time.

If someone wants to start a business, what advice would you give them?

I would say to grab a journal and start writing everything down, every idea that pops into your head. Get it out of your brain and onto paper. And then take action on it. Don’t just let the idea sit there. Find a person or a group of people who have experience with starting and running their own businesses to learn from, who can provide guidance on what to do when you’re first getting started.

What is one piece of feedback from a happy customer or client that you won't forget?

“Dr. Jenn is authentic, knowledgeable, professional, passionate, and comforting. She has a warm, caring presence that makes you feel seen and heard. She creates an environment where you feel at ease sharing concerns as well as celebrations about your pet during such a tender time. She provides essential guidance and support during difficult end-of-life decisions for pets, offering empathy, validation, and tangible tools to help you process grief, evaluate quality of life, and navigate complex emotional situations with confidence.”

Where do you see your company in the future?

In the future, I see Sage Paws as the industry leader and go-to expert for anticipatory pet loss grief and proactive end-of-life planning for pets.

What is the biggest misconception about your industry?

The biggest misconception about my industry is that you have to wait until the loss occurs to get support for the grief you’re feeling, and that if you talk about and plan for the end, it will somehow make it happen faster.

What has been one of your biggest struggles building your business, and how did you deal with it?

One of the biggest struggles I’ve found with building my business is, between being a mom and working veterinary relief shifts at a full-service clinic, finding the time to work on Sage Paws to grow it to where I want it to be. I deal with it by trying to be as intentional as I can with the pockets of time I have, filling them with tasks that are actually going to move the needle forward, instead of just working in my business doing tasks that aren’t resulting in growth or revenue.

Who was your favorite music artist and athlete growing up?

Growing up, my favorite music artist was NSYNC and my favorite athletes were the 1996 women’s gymnastics team – the Magnificent Seven.

Where can our readers learn more about you and your company?

They can check out my website https://www.sagepaws.com/ or follow me on Instagram @_sage_paws.