Bob Barker: Animal Activist and Price Is Right Legend Retires

While Bob Barker’s famous calling “come on down” will forever be remembered, his closing message at the end of each showcase showdown for the past 35 years of “don’t forget to get your pets spayed and neutered” is equally consistent. Bob Barker has been making dreams come true for over 3 decades and more importantly bringing animal rights advocacy to the forefront of public awareness. Barker was an activist in Hollywood long before it became the thing to do and has been a vegetarian since 1979. In an interview Barker describes his first involvement:

About 20 years ago I was chairman of Be Kind to Animals Week in LA. I was invited by different organizations to participate in their activities. As I did, I began to become aware of the terrible exploitation of animals in the world and felt compelled to try to rectify the situation. And that’s what I’ve been doing ever since. My wife who died in 1981 had been a vegetarian for years. When I became a vegetarian I gave up red meat and fowl, and gradually fish and dairy products as well. I did it out of concern for animals, but I have certainly learned why so many people are becoming vegetarians out of concern for health reasons. I can control my weight better than before, I feel better, I have more energy, and I think that it is certainly a healthful way of life.

Bob Barker is clearly a man who lives by his convictions and at age 83, his vegetarian lifestyle speaks for itself. He will be missed on the airwaves, but clearly will continue to make waves in the world of animal rights. Farewell Bob!!

Crosspost with ecorazzi