Meet Hawaii's Tireless TV Veterinarian: The 'Aloha Vet'

That's because, even with help from his two assistants, Dia and Ella, Pegasus is just one of only about 20 listed veterinarian practices in all of Kauai. By comparison, Novato boasts a stunning 230 private practices, clinics, and pet emergency centers. And while the little Californian town boasts about 52,000 people living within 28 square miles, Kauai boasts 65,000 residents living in secluded pockets of the large volcanic island.

"But the interior of the island is really wild. You can't just drive on over," Sim's added.

Instead, the vet often takes to the saddle, water, or sky to get where he needs to go. He even built his own airplane - a modest single seater with more than enough range to go island hopping.

"It sounds a lot more impressive than it really is," Sims said. "It's just a giant plastic model with a real engine." (Scroll to read on...)

What Makes a Great Veterinarian...

But while Sims can be bashful at times, he's an exceptionally charismatic human being who clearly loves the animals he works with.

"I think people love animals because they are really honest," he explained. "Even if they can't talk, they will still tell you what they are feeling and how they are feeling... and people like that."

However, he's quick to add that we should be careful not to anthropomorphize them, especially in the case of wild animals.

"One common problem for when people bring in wild animals is that they want us to treat them [immediately] - 'It's got a broken wing! We gotta help it right now!'"

"I'd have to tell them 'No, actually what we need to do is back off, get it stabilized... let it catch its breath, and then we can finally go in and fix whatever is wrong.'"

Sims explained that the tiny hearts of wild animals are delicate things, and if you try and fix everything all at once, you wind up just stressing them to death.

Still, he added that how quickly people become invested in animals they even just met is no-doubt a good thing.

... Also Makes Great TV

It may have been that level head and charming optimism which also earned Sims a spot on television. As of last year, a film crew has been following the vet around, watching him work, play, and generally treat each day as an adventure.

"I guess I'm just quirky enough for TV," he said with a chuckle. "It's not like I didn't have enough to do already... but I want to show people that we can do a lot better (in terms of caring for animals and the environment) without working very hard at it." (Scroll to read on...)

What he means by that is exemplified in the episodes of "Aloha Vet," which premiered on National Geographic Wild just last month. In these episodes, he suggests safer ways for farmers to tether their livestock, showcases good grooming habits for pets, and helps a lot of animals out of tough situations.

And he seems to have a lot of fun while doing it.

"I don't want to give too much away, but just last Christmas Eve I got this call to go see a horse that was stuck in a ditch," he told NWN.

"I'm driving out through this field at 10 o'clock at night on the night before Christmas and I can't even see where I'm going because the grass is so tall. And when I finally come upon where they wanted me, the grass parts to reveal this guy dressed up like Santa Clause who's peering into this deep ditch."

"And I'm thinking 'boy there better not be a sleigh at the bottom of this river!" he said laughing.

We won't spoil the whole story, but rest assured that Rudolf and the rest of the reindeer team are happy and healthy.

"It's been very interesting experience and it's been fun to see how people get so invested in their animals," Sims added. "And that's a good thing! Animals are an important part of our lives."

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