Wow! Such a good movie.

Memorable, crazy movie

Far from Perfect, Far from Terrible

A movie that not only functions as a solid scarefest but a razor-sharp satire.

This show suffers from the problems of all reality tv. Each episode pretty much reveals the same cases: calving problems, dying pets, equine maladies. To view it gives the impression that farmers and animal owners in Michigan suffer from a huge per capita epidemic of bad luck.Add to that the usual staged stories which are supposed to provide levity. Their Great Danes run out the door without them knowing it. Yet there was a camera shooting the whole thing. Their three-legged cat rules the roost. Charles buys Jan a juke box. Not to mention a trip to Holland. All irrelevant material.Then, what is never mentioned, of course, are the veterinary practices which got Pol called before an examiners' board. Nor what he charges people for his services. Nor that a practice that huge obviously has more than three vets to run it.This would have been a good 2 hour documentary. As a multi-year series it has run out of steam.

Dr. Pol, DVM, has a practice in rural Michigan, and this reality show follows him as he makes his rounds to his various farm patients, as well as the office where people bring their domestic animals. It has an old fashioned feel to it. The doc knows his patients and their owners, and you get to see him deal with birth, injuries, death, and the hard decision to put an animal down. He's not a man given with the gift of much gab, but he has a distinct likability about him. He's a man who is 75 as I am writing this, and when I first watched the show I was guessing he was in his mid to late 50s. That's what comes from doing what you love - it keeps you young at heart. Also part of the practice is his son Charles, who, as he admits, is not even a veterinary technician, just an assistant, but seems to be loving what he does and being around his dad. The office is organized and maintained by Dr. Pol's wife of 50 years, and then there is "Dr. Brenda", Brenda Grettenburger, and the junior vet on the team, Dr. Emily Thomas.There are a wide variety of situations, animals, and dilemmas, so I am yet to get bored. I will tell you that there does seem to be a good deal of professional jealousy about Dr. Pol. If you look around the internet you'll see fellow vets talk about how uncaring the staff is and unsanitary the procedures are. Folks, it is called editing. You don't see every little thing that is done. Plus you don't wind up with 20,000 patients by being a bad vet. Dr. Pol was disciplined by a Michigan state board a few years back based on the complaint of a viewer of this show who was a retired veterinarian living in Tennessee! However, that decision was reversed and even the owners of the animal in the case in question said that they were happy with the outcome.I'd recommend you watch the show. Just don't mention it to your vet or they are likely to start snorting, stomp out of the examining room, and fire you and your pet from their practice. Just my two cents.