Bob Barker left “The Price is Right” in 2007, but as a game show host, he remains a television icon. If you ever watching him on the show, you may remember that at the end of almost every episode, he reminded us to “Help control the pet population. Have your pets spayed or neutered.”
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Part of the reason Barker did this was as a loving tribute to his wife, Dorothy Jo. The two high school sweethearts married in 1945 and were only separated by her death in 1981. Barker has said that Dorothy Jo was ahead of her time in her devotion to animal rights. In 1979, he both became a vegetarian and took up the cause of animal rights.
Since then, he has been a central celebrity figure in the movement and he takes his stance very seriously. Barker hosted the Miss USA/Universe pageant for 20 years but stepped down in 1987 when his request for the removal of fur prizes was denied.
In 1994, Barker established the DJ&T Foundation – the initials are for his wife and mother. The foundation funds clinics and voucher programs so people who can’t afford it can get their pets spayed or neutered.
When Barker retired from TPIR in 2007 and comedian Drew Carey took his place, Carey continued the plea for people to have their pets spayed and neutered at the end of each episode.
Barker gave a gift of $1 million for the study of animal rights to the Columbia University School of Law. This also funds an adjunct professorship and a student clinic in environmental law.
Among the organizations that Barker supports are the United Activists for Animal Rights and the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society.
Barker also donated $2.5 million to the animal rights organization PETA to build their new office in Los Angeles. That office, which serves as the West Coast headquarters and is known as the Bob Barker Building just opened last Thursday.