Parents' Guide to

Dr. Dee: Alaska Vet

By Melissa Camacho, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 12+

Vet reality has heart -- and lots of bloody surgeries.

TV Animal Planet Reality TV 2015
Dr. Dee: Alaska Vet Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this TV show.

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age 12+

Based on 5 parent reviews

Cjkelly
Cjkelly Adult
November 27, 2020
age 13+

Awful

As an animal lover I did not enjoy this show at all. One episode had multiple bulls restrained while having electrical instruments put up its rear end to collect their seman. The poor bulls were clearly traumatised and it was not nice to watch. The next episode they had to get a baby calf castrated and they used no pain relief and the Mum cow was in distress in the same pen trying to protect her baby. I enjoyed watching the mum cow head butting the doctor as she clearly deserved it.
Anna V.
Anna V. Adult
October 5, 2016
age 10+

My nieces and nephews range from 8 to 18 and they love Dr Dee. They see the real world through a professionals eyes. The surgeries are real but my boyfriend of 40 + crindged more during surgeries-the kids were inthrawled- She is an inspiration to them.

This is a great show for kids from 8 on up. I was in Fairbanks on business and Dr Dee actually has a 4-H group started from 8 to 18 for pre veterinary medicine - she is wonderful in person as she is on the air and the kids love her. She pads most subjects but encourage 'reality' of life to all of them.

This title has:

Great messages
Great role models
See all 5 parent reviews

What's the Story?

DR. DEE: ALASKA VET is a reality series about Dr. Dee Thornell, a veterinarian who treats animals in and around Fairbanks, Alaska. The owner of the Animal House clinic and hospital treats animals of all kinds with the help of her staff, including fellow veterinarian Terry Wighs, and Nicole Legerat, the hospital's administrator. When animal owners living in remote areas can't make it to the clinic, Dr. Dee, sometimes with the help of her husband Ken, flies out to treat them. From performing surgeries to looking for options for a puppy who needs prosthetic legs, she is committed to providing the best possible life for the 40,000 animals she treats a year.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (5 ):
Kids say (1 ):

This reality show offers an interesting look at what life is like for a veterinarian who must adapt her practice to serve the unique needs of the Far North lifestyle. From providing her own source of power when treating animals in areas that have no electricity to getting her pilot's license to reach some patients, it shows many of the activities that make her practice different from most in the lower 48 states.

The special role that animals play in Alaska, such as pulling sleds, providing food, offering safety, or being companions for someone living in the remote wilderness, is highlighted. But the surgeries can be bloody, and seeing animals suffering or dying isn't easy. Nonetheless, animal lovers who can handle these scenes will find it worth watching.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about veterinarians. What kinds of training do they have to have? How do they learn to treat so many species of animals? What kinds of animals do vets working in remote locations treat? Are they different from the animals a vet in a city would treat?

TV Details

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