The Incredible Dr. Pol – Wikipedia

American reality television series

American TV series or program

The Incredible Dr. Pol
Logo
Genre	Reality television
Created by	Jon Schroder
Developed by	Charles Pol
Starring	Jan Pol Diane Pol Charles Pol Brenda Grettenberger Nicole Arcy Ray Harp Lisa Jones
Narrated by	Ari Rubin
Country of origin	United States
Original language	English
No. of seasons	22
No. of episodes	235 (2022 March)
Producer	Charles Pol
Production location	Weidman, Michigan
Running time	44–50/60 (S19 E1) minutes
Production companies
Original network	Nat Geo Wild
Original release	October 29, 2011 (October 29, 2011) – present

The Incredible Dr. Pol is an American reality television show on Nat Geo Wild that follows Dutch-American veterinarian Jan Pol and his family and employees at his practice in rural Weidman, Michigan.^[1][2][3] The series premiered October 29, 2011 and has two seasons every year.^[4]

• Jan Pol was born on September 4, 1942, in Wateren, Netherlands.^[5] He studied veterinary medicine at Utrecht University, graduating in 1970. He and his wife moved to Harbor Beach, Michigan, where Pol worked for a veterinarian for more than 10 years. He moved to Weidman, Michigan, where he opened Pol Veterinary Services out of his home in 1981.^[6][7][8] The focus of Pol’s practice has shifted from almost exclusively large animals to a combination of large and small ones. Because of the unavailability of emergency care animal hospitals in this rural area, emergencies make up a large portion of the practice.^[9] Pol has said that despite his advancing years, he cannot retire since there are no veterinarians stepping into the breach to take care of farm animals.^[10]
• Diane Pol was born in Mayville, Michigan, on February 6, 1943. She met Jan Pol when he was a foreign exchange student at Mayville High School in 1961. She has a master’s degree in Special Reading and used to be a teacher at Harbor Beach Elementary School. The Pols have been married for more than 50 years.^[11]
• Charles Pol graduated from the University of Miami in Florida, 2003.^[12] He is a producer.^[2][13]
• Brenda Grettenberger was born on February 23, 1967 in Eaton Rapids, Michigan. She graduated from Michigan State University College of Veterinary Medicine in 1992.^[14]
• Emily Thomas was born in April 3, 1984, in Warner Robins, Georgia. She graduated from University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine in 2010. Thomas is married and the mother of three children. She left the practice in 2019 when she relocated Virginia.^[15]
• Nicole Arcy was born on December 20, 1993, in Dearborn, Michigan. She graduated from the College of Veterinary Medicine of University of Missouri.
• Ray Harp appeared on the show from 2019 to 2021.
• Lisa Jones graduated in veterinary medicine from Cornell University.

Production[edit]

Pol is surprised that the show became a hit “watched by everybody—all kinds of life, all ages, big family show, and I think this is what is so fantastic.” He credits his son Charles, who is the series producer, and who successfully pitched the series to National Geographic. According to Pol, Charles counseled him, “Dad, do your work. That is interesting enough. Don’t look at the camera, don’t do anything for the camera.” Pol continues. “… it’s not scripted; it is real.”^[13]

Reception[edit]

Pol’s style has received a mixed reception by veterinarians,^[16] and in 2014, Pol was fined $500 and had his license put on probation by the Michigan Board of Veterinary Medicine for not wearing proper surgical attire during treatment of a Boston terrier.^[17] However, a year later, the sentencing was overturned by the Michigan Court of Appeals, which reversed and remanded, holding inter alia that there was no competent evidence that there was a breach of the standard of care and citing the fact that “the owners of the dog were happy with the care it has been given.”^{[18][8][19][20]}

References[edit]

External links[edit]