Dr. Jan Pol

Growing up the youngest of six on a dairy farm in the Netherlands, star of National Geographic Wild’s, “The Incredible Dr. Pol,” is no stranger when it comes to animals. As a child, he lived among dairy cows, sheep, pigs, chickens, geese, turkeys, rabbits, dogs and Friesian horses, to name a few, and helped deliver his first litter of piglets at the ripe age of 12. A defining moment as it would be for any young boy, that was when the young, pre-doctorate Jan Pol decided that there was no other career for him—that his life calling was a veterinary calling, spoken and delivered to him via a piglet delivery.

An enthusiastic and naturally-inclined scholar all around, Dr. Pol has been practicing veterinary medicine for over 35 years since graduating from Utrecht University in 1970. Opening the doors to his first practice in 1981 with his wife, Diane, Dr. Pol’s became an expert in large farm animals. Seeing the depleting dairy farms in Michigan, Dr. Pol knew that there weren’t any other veterinarians helping the farmers manage the health of their herds and made it his personal agenda to revive the herds and return profitability back to the farmers.

Through the years of his practice, Dr. Pol has seen an extremely wide array of animal injuries, from the common to the very peculiar (he recounts treating a snake that was chewed on by a rat, which actually should have been the snake’s food!). Dr. Pol along with his son Charles and his 10 employees have treated approximately 20,000 clients since opening their doors.

A firm believer in spaying and neutering animals, Dr. Pol continues to be active with his local philanthropic organizations 4-H and FFA (Future Farmers of America), non-profit charities that help teach young adults how to take proper care of animals. He believes that children who are taught to take care of animals at a young age make better adults.

When Dr. Pol isn’t working, he enjoys spending time with his wife discovering new and exotic destinations, scuba diving in the Caribbean and traveling across Europe.