Animal Planet’s Dr. Evan Antin Talks His Journey From Viral Fame to His Own TV Show

Dr. Evan Antin might have surprised some when he was able to turn his viral fame as PEOPLE’s “Sexiest Veterinarian Alive” into the hit show Evan Goes Wild, but the Animal Planet personality wasn’t particularly shocked.

“[Having my own show] is something I’ve been working towards for a very long time,” he told PopCulture.com in honor of National Pet Day. “It was a major goal professional dream since I was 21.”

After discovering his passion for helping animals as a vet at the University of Colorado, Antin has traveled all over the world, both for Animal Planet and on his own adventures, exploring exotic wildlife and helping animal advocates and their charges everywhere from Machu Picchu to the Amazon rainforest.

“My dream show was a mix between Steve Irwin, Crocodile Hunter vibes and a Vets Without Borders vibe,” he said of his show’s inception, adding of the one-on-one interactions between himself and the animals he helps on the show, “It’s having those intimate moments people love to see. …When you have those moments, you can really have the fascination and the interaction with these animals.”

Sunday’s season finale was particularly special for Antin, as he was able to work with spectacled bears and the quintessential Peruvian llamas. One animal on his list to work with he hasn’t encountered, however, is the King Cobra, which he explains he has looked for on his exploits but hasn’t “gotten lucky.”

Next season of Evan Goes Wild, Antin teased they were looking at going to locations such as Dubai, Australia and even some colder climates.

“Seeing these animals where they’re actually native to and in their element is my happy place,” he explained of his world travels. But flying halfway around the world isn’t necessary for people looking to appreciate and conserve animals in their own backyard.

“When it comes to them having that run-in with a raccoon or crow, I hope they can have that respect for it and have that appreciation for their native wildlife,” he said.

And while Antin often has to come up with creative solutions to aid the animals on Evan Goes Wild, the celebrity vet stressed that simple home items such as Clorox, which with he is partnering, can go a long way to keeping one’s pets safe, as it’s “super effective at killing some of the most scary pathogens that affect our pets,” like parvovirus and distemper, which can kill animals quickly.

With his own two cats and at home, it’s important to keep your animals vaccinated and their environment pathogen-free to ensure them a long and healthy life at your side.

“They live in the moment, that’s the best part of these animals,” he told PopCulture. “You come home and they’re just so happy to be with you … they don’t worry about the past or future, they’re happy right now.”

While the most recent season of Evan Goes Wild may have just wrapped up, you can catch all the animal moments you missed on Animal Planet’s website by signing in with your cable provider.

Photo credit: Animal Planet