INTERVIEW: Dr. Pol prepares for new TV season, new book

Photo: Dr. Pol juggles a number of vials and syringes after being called out to perform blood tests at Susanne and Ray Kirklin’s boer goat farm. Photo courtesy of National Geographic Channels / Michael Stankevich

Dr. Jan Pol has had more than 19,000 patients — mostly the four-legged type.

The Michigan-based veterinarian has been offering solutions to pets and farm animals for decades, and for the past few years, the cameras have been following his every move. The Incredible Dr. Pol, the hit reality series that follows Pol and his clinic, returns to Nat Geo Wild 9 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 23. Before the premiere of the latest season, Pol will also head out for some book signings to celebrate the release of his new autobiography Never Turn Your Back on an Angus Cow (co-written with David Fisher).

“That was a big project, too,” Pol said of the book. “It’s surprising how nice it sounds to me because it is just like I am telling the stories — without the accent, of course.”

Pol was born and raised on a dairy farm in the Netherlands, so he’s been a lover of animals for a long time. His mother loved all of the four-legged friends around the property. From pigs to sheep to horses to rabbits, dogs and cats, the Pol family had many barks, oinks and baaas around the house. His journey to the United States was preceded by his sister’s move to Canada.

“My sister left for Canada, and that’s all in the book, too, when she was 21 years old in 1965,” he said. “And she still lives there, and I wanted to get out of my parents’ hair, and became an exchange student, and actually went to high school and graduated [in the United States].”

He returned to the Netherlands and went to college to become a veterinarian. As soon as he was finished with his university work, he headed back to the United States to start his professional life.

With the new book and new season of the show, Pol finds himself in the spotlight with no retirement in sight. He attributed his success to the animals.

“First of all, people like animals. Second of all, people like very healthy animals, and we try to do it in a good way so that people can afford to do it. Second of all, Charles [his son] and I get along fine. The banter that goes back and forth between us is always nice, and we try to keep it a clean show. We don’t get any bleeps in there so that the parents actually can just turn it on and let the kids watch it. This is what we see. Sometimes we get these very articulate 2-year-olds here, and those kids are just fantastic. They just come here, and they just jump in my arms right away because they know me from TV. And they’re not afraid at all, and they just love to see me. And we’ve had here also ladies that are 92 years old, where we’re on the bucket list. Before they go they want to meet us and see the clinic.”

Today, Pol’s practice is so large that he loans out some of the veterinary work, but he still works in time to greet fans who stop by.

“Well, I never thought that this show was going to take off the way it did,” he said. “When I was 12 years old that’s when I started to really work to become a veterinarian, and I really have enjoyed my work. To me I’ve helped a lot of farmers make money.”

On the new season of The Incredible Dr. Pol, the clinic has changed its staff a bit. “We hired Dr. Emily who came from the University of Georgia and was working in South Carolina, and she was all aware of what was going on,” Pol said. “But she is such an easy-going person and fits right in, and she’s in front the camera. So she’ll be not in this season but in the next season. Yes, what I am looking for in a new veterinarian is common sense, love for animals and a smile on their face.”

Pol wants his staff to have smiles probably because there are few times when he’s not smiling. He learned a long time ago that blowing up at people doesn’t work and only drives the blood pressure up. Instead, he’s an “optimist,” a man who believes the glass is always half full.

Retirement for the 72-year-old is still not an option, but Pol has thought about taking a break.

“I’d like to retire eventually, but when that comes I don’t know. And people are surprised that I’m 72 years old almost and still running like a young guy. Yes, it hurts to get going a little bit, but once you get going, then it is easy to do. When you see all the other people that retire and more or less quit working and get stiff — no, no, keep going is good.”

By John Soltes / Publisher / John@HollywoodSoapbox.com

Click here for more information on The Incredible Dr. Pol. Click here for Pol’s new book.

Revised.