Nat Geo WILD Previews Vetsgiving 2021 at TCA with Dr. Pol, Dr. Oakley, Dr. Hodges, Dr. Ferguson and new member Dr. Griffin

Nat Geo WILD is preparing to host another Vetsgiving this November and all of the networks fan-favorite vets are invited! From Monday, November 22nd through Sunday, November 28th, each day brings exciting new episodes and the network will even be debuting a brand-new series during the lineup. During National Geographic’s presentation at the TCA Summer Press Tour, many of the vets gathered together virtually to talk about this year’s big event.

(National Geographic)

“We've been so fortunate having this treasure trove of diverse, uniquely talented and might I say, incredibly funny cast of doctors,” SVP of development and production Janet Han Vissering said. “I'm so excited to see their next cut… Every show will give you a new perspective on what their practice is about and the culture and the location and types of animals that they serve.”

Vetsgiving begins with a new episode of Critter Fixers: Country Vets, which centers around lifelong friends Drs. Vernard Hodges and Terrence Ferguson, who have their practice in rural Georgia. “I always had a dream of being the first Black Jacques Cousteau,” Dr. Vernard Hodges explained when asked about his inspiration to become a veterinarian. “I wanted to work with everything, so I'm fortunate now that I'm able to work with fish, cows, gerbils, snakes, rabbits, camels, and all these different things.” For Dr. Terrence Ferguson, it was one specific animal that ignited his veterinary spark. “We had a dog that was hit by a car,” he shared about an experience he had around the age of 7. “To make it short, I adopted this animal back to health, so I thought I did. Now looking back on it, it really had a scratch and I thought I had done something miraculous. But that lit a fire in me to want to become a veterinarian.”

Thanksgiving day will be celebrated with The Incredible Doctor Pol, now in its 19th season and celebrating 10 years on the air. One of the things Dr. Jan Pol is thankful for this year is the knowledge his viewers have learned from watching. “That's what I hear from many of my clients, and especially the fans that are coming through, how they have learned so much from these shows,” Dr. Pol shared. “And I think that's important because as much as they can learn about the health of their pets and know when they have to take it to the vet instead of saying, ‘Well, let's see if he's better tomorrow,’ no. If they know of anything that goes wrong with their pet and they know a little bit what it is so they can be treated sooner, I think that's always important.”

Following the Thanksgiving episode of The Incredible Dr. Pol is a brand-new show, Pop Goes the Vet with Dr. Joya. “I'm a veterinary dermatologist, so I treat skin,” Dr. Joya Griffin explained. “I've always had a story to tell, I think, with the patients and the lives that I've been able to touch. One thing I hear over and over again is that my clients come to me, my pet moms and dads, and they say, ‘I didn't even know a dermatologist existed.’ Part of me was wanting to tell that story, that we are out there and that 50% of the cases that a general practitioner will see have to do with the ears and the skin. And when they get a little complicated, I'm here to help and solve those major skin and ear issues. And so we're sometimes not known about, and I'm happy to tell our story.”

Last but certainly not least, two episodes of Dr. Oakley, Yukon Vet will air Friday and Saturday, November 26th and 27th. “I remember watching Dr. Pol’s show,” Dr. Michelle Oakley revealed when asked who her TV vet inspirations were. “I think what's really cool is that I grew up watching Nat Geo, watching Jane Goodall… I think each of these new vet shows are showing a different aspect of the profession and how deep it is and how much we want to do for animals and how much we can do as vets. That's pretty exciting to have all these different vet shows showing off all their skills in different places.”

You can see all of Nat Geo WILD’s vet shows during Vetsgiving, full schedule below.