There are a few things about Bob Barker that instantly come to mind when you think of the legendary TV host. First is probably The Price Is Right, which takes me back to when my dad tried to get on the show and Barker talked to him after filming wrapped. Second might be Happy Gilmore or, more importantly, his sign-off from The Price Is Right. At the end of each episode, Barker would gently remind viewers to spay and neuter their pets.
Say what you want about the idea, but it is incredibly important, especially now as pets are being returned to shelters at an alarming rate. As someone who would die for my idiot of a pet cat, I don’t understand how someone could do that, but maybe that’s just me. Sure, I know that there are outside circumstances (allergies, for instance), but even then, I wouldn’t take my pet to a shelter if I had the choice. Spaying and neutering your pets just helps to keep the pet population from spending their lives in shelters because no one will adopt them.
Barker was a big supporter of animals throughout his time as host of The Price Is Right. His love of animals is one that he shared with his wife, Dorothy Jo Gideon. The current problems with unhomed pets in shelters shows the importance of Barker’s messaging; so many cats and dogs are left without a loving home to call their own because of the lack of protections for these animals. In cities with no-kill laws, shelters don’t euthanize animals. That’s a great thing, but it can and often does result in overcrowding.
Spaying and neutering your pets is just one way to help, and it’s something many of us instantly connect with Barker.
The Bob Barker legacy
Not only was Barker a man who encouraged taking care of the animals around you, but he was also dubbed the “Patron Saint of Sick Days” because of how often people would watch The Price Is Right when not at work or school. Think about how Ben Wyatt cried about The Price Is Right on Parks and Recreation, and how he’d stay home sick and watch the show in the episode “Partridge.” It’s funny because it is relatable given how much we all connected with Barker in this way.
Barker’s recent passing (at the age of 99—meaning, as many pointed out, that he got the closest to 100 without going over) has reignited conversations about the former host. And it is important to remember what he stood for during his time on The Price Is Right: protecting animals. Right now, due to overcrowding, so many shelters are begging people to temporarily foster animals at the very least. That’s not fair to the animals, and doing our part to help (if we can) is what Barker would have wanted.
So as he always said, remember to get your pets spayed and neutered. Do it for Bob Barker and for his legacy.
(featured image: NBC)
