Every child, at some point, wants to be a veterinarian when they grow up. It sounds so idyllic that spending the day with animal friends makes them feel better. Thankfully reality shows such as The Incredible Dr. Pol allow viewers to live out this fantasy without all the blood, guts, vomit, and fecal matter.
The Incredible Dr. Pol follows veterinarian Jan Pol, his family, and staff as they work hard to keep the animals of Weidman, Michigan, healthy. This National Geographic Wild show has been running for 23 seasons and is available on live television or to stream on Disney Plus. Audiences have fallen in love with all the staff, including fan-favorite Dr. Brenda, although she was noticeably absent from season 18. This caused many to be confused and start speculating why she was no longer working with Dr. Pol.
To get to the bottom of this puzzle, let’s first examine how Dr. Brenda started working at Pol Veterinary Services.
But first, who is Dr. Brenda?
Dr. Brenda Grettenberger is a Michigan native born in 1967 in Eaton Rapids. Growing up on a dairy farm, she knew from a young age that she wanted to work with large animals. She also attended the Michigan State University College of Veterinary Medicine. Upon graduation, she replied to a help-wanted ad in the AVMA journal; the rest is history. She started working at Pol Veterinary Services in 1992. She has been happily working alongside Dr. Pol ever since.
What about Dr. Pol? Who is he?
Dr. Jan Pol was born in Wateren, Netherlands. At age 12, he helped deliver a litter of piglets on his family’s farm, and at that moment, he knew he wanted to be a veterinarian. He studied abroad in the United States during high school in Mayville, Michigan. He started a friendship with a beautiful girl, Diane, who would later become his wife. He studied at Utrecht University Veterinary and, upon graduation, moved to the United States to pursue his career in veterinary medicine. After working for another vet for a time, Dr. Pol decided it was time to strike out on his own. He established Pol Veterinary Services in 1981. Ten years later, Dr. Brenda would join the team… but where is she now?
What happened to Dr. Brenda, and why wasn’t she on season 18 of The Incredible Dr. Pol?
Dr. Pol’s son Charles addressed this question head-on in a Facebook Live event. He stated: “We’ve seen a lot of rumors here on the Dr. Pol Facebook page that Dr. Brenda is perhaps leaving the practice or has left the practice. I just want to dissuade all those rumors. Dr. Brenda has not left the practice.” Fans can breathe a sigh of relief. This leads to the natural follow-up question: Where has she been?
Charles also addressed this. He stated there was no deep conspiracy theory or drama behind her absence. It was simply scheduling and life. He said: “She had some things that she was doing a year ago. So you might not see her as much in one of the past seasons, and I think people were getting nervous about that. But that was because of, you know, busy life, and she was kind of running around. They weren’t able to get as much filming with her. But she’s still here. So don’t worry about that. Brenda will be here, is still here, and we’re very thankful to have her. She’s great, and she’s been a part of the Dr. Pol family for over 30 years. I can’t imagine Pol Veterinary without Brenda.”
Audiences agree with Charles and can rest easy knowing she will continue to help them live out their veterinary dreams from safely behind a screen without all the nasty smells.
Will Dr. Brenda return for new seasons of The Incredible Dr. Poll?
We just can’t get enough of Dr. Brenda. Even after our fears were assuaged and Dr. Brenda did indeed return to the show after season 18, the brief scare birthed a latent fear that our favorite doctor might disappear right before our very eyes again.
Thankfully, the producer of the show, Charles Pol – Dr. Pol’s son, shared the status of Dr. Bredna’s fate in another Facebook Live event from July 2022, and — good news — she’s not going anywhere.
“Dr. Brenda is still at the clinic, don’t you worry. If she goes anywhere, we’ll let you know. But as of right now, she’s still at the clinic…”
Despite the 23rd season concluding, folks can look forward to the 24th season next year, while prior episodes of The Incredible Dr. Poll can be streamed on platforms such as ABC, Disney Plus, and Hulu.
