Nat Geo WILD's INCREDIBLE! THE STORY OF DR. POL to Debut Next Month

A young man from the Netherlands falls in love and moves to the United States - the country of opportunity. He lives the American dream by raising a family and starting his own veterinary business in central Michigan, which over the years has become a thriving practice. Little did he know that, at the age of 70, he would become a global television star. He's our No. 1 man, and now we're revealing what makes him The Incredible Dr. Pol.

NAT GEO WILD cameras have followed Dr. Pol for five years, shadowing him as he saves lives, births baby animals large and small and cares for thousands of species throughout rural Michigan. Now for the first time, he shares his personal story about how a Dutch farm boy grew up to become a world-famous veterinarian, in a new world premiere bio special, Incredible! The Story of Dr. Pol, premiering Saturday, Jan. 10 at 10 p.m. ET/PT on Nat Geo WILD.

We go back to his childhood in the Netherlands during World War II, and hear about his move to the American Midwest to follow his dream of becoming a veterinarian. We learn how he met and fell in love with his wife of 50 years, and talk to the people in his community who count on him to keep their animals healthy, day and night, rain or shine. By his estimate, his practice has treated more than half a million animals and counting. We bring you the best of those stories.

"Diane came out of the crowd, first thing I say, 'man, she's tall.' We got along fine, it seemed like Diane and I had the same interests an awful lot. We love the beach, we love to go swimming, so we had a lot of hobbies that were together," says Dr. Pol.

He also shares his life-changing moments, including the joy of delivering a litter of piglets on his family's farm when he was 12 years old and how that started his journey of working with animals. This is the personal history of a man who has become perhaps the hardest working, most empathetic, no-nonsense vet who isn't afraid to make the difficult decisions in order to do what's best for his patients and their hard-working owners.

"Be honest with your clients. That was always first. Work hard, and if you don't know what the problem is, don't be afraid to admit it," says Pol in the special.

He's got wit, brains and a heart of gold. Dr. Pol's passion and love for animals is clear as we take a walk down memory lane to uncover the good doctor's past.

The new year will also ring in the new season of The Incredible Dr. Pol, premiering Saturday, Jan. 10 at 9 p.m. ET/PT. We'll learn more about his love of his vintage cars and follow along as he treats rural Michigan's finest furry friends, including horses, pigs, cows, sheep, alpacas, cats and dogs. This season, watch Dr. Pol treat a goat for pneumonia, a horse unable to keep his meal down and a pig in desperate need of stitches. It's another busy time at the clinic, as the animals need care and attention to keep farmers' businesses thriving.

THE INCREDIBLE DR. POL is produced by National Geographic Television for Nat Geo WILD. For National Geographic Television, executive producer is Ted Duvall and co-executive producer is Andrea Schwartzberg. For Nat Geo WILD, executive producer is Jenny Apostol and executive vice president and general manager is Geoff Daniels.

To post a comment, you must register and login.