Dr. Sarah Boston is the funniest veterinary surgical oncologist on Earth
Sarah Boston is a stand up comedian, veterinary cancer surgeon and cancer survivor. (Ironic, right?) She is also an actor, podcaster and author. Her bestselling memoir, LUCKY DOG: HOW BEING A VETERINARIAN SAVED MY LIFE, was published by The House of Anansi. Sarah is a 2023 graduate of the Humber College Comedy Performance and Writing Program in Toronto. She is the 2023 recipient of the Tim Sims Award, which recognizes comedic performers in the early stages of their careers, as well as the Award for Academic Excellence from Humber College.
Sarah is a rostered stand-up comedian with YukYuks comedy club. Her solo show, Stoppable received a Jury Nod for Outstanding Storytelling at the Guelph Fringe in 2024. She performed her new hour of comedy, Unsatisfaction at the Ottawa Fringe (June 2025) and the Women in Comedy Festival in Manchester, UK (Oct 2025). Sarah is the host of the podcast called Comedicine, where is talks to healthcare professionals (human and animal) who are also comedians. In her free time, she enjoys treating dogs and cats with cancer.
What were you like as a teen?
I was very funny as a teen.. Or, at least I thought so.
Did you have an un-sexy starter job?
I am a veterinary surgical oncologist (cancer surgeon for dogs and cats). Is that sexy? Probably not. I came to comedy a bit later in life.
What do you consider to be your biggest comedy achievement to date?
I’m a signed comic with YukYuks in Canada.
When you were coming up in comedy, what helped you stick with it?
Sheer stuborness with a touch of delusion.
Have you ever dealt with trolls?
I had a bad experience with trolls this summer when I did a Fringe show in Ottawa and I must admit I took to the bed for a while. I need to work on that.
On your deathbed, what transcendent advice would you croak at a young comedian?
Don’t try to be a male comic.
Best comedy advice you ever got?
Put your jokes into active voice. Took me a while to understand what this means but now I’m like “I totally get it.”
Worst comedy advice you ever got?
Don’t tell people how old you are.
How has being funny helped you in your life?
I started with comedy writing (I wrote a book) and performance when I had thyroid cancer. That’s when I realized the power of finding what’s funny when things are hard and absurd because so many things are.
Was there one person who inspired you to go into comedy?
Tig Notaro’s LIVE came out at around the same time that my (funny) book about having thyroid cancer (Lucky Dog: How Being a Veterinarian Saved my Life) and I didn’t feel so crazy for making jokes about having cancer. Did she do it better than me? Yes, yes she did, but she made me feel like I was on the right track.
Do you have a writing routine?
I need to get on this.
What specific things should a novice comedy writer do to shape their voice?
Focus your writing on yourself and your experiences. Don’t try to write for an audience, write for yourself and find your audience.
