Why did Bob Barker say: “Get your pets spayed or neutered” at the end of each ‘The Price is Right’ show?
The popular game show host, who passed away in the summer or 2023 at the age of 99, was known for his catchphrases and animal activism.
Bob Barker, iconic host of the famous game show The Price Is Right passed away this year from natural causes. He would have turned 100 on Dec. 12, 2023.
His publicist Roger Neal broke the sad news to the world, issuing the following statement: “It is with profound sadness that we announce that the world’s greatest MC who ever lived Bob Barker, has left us”.
Bob Barker: a life in radio and television
Born in Darrington, Washington in 1923, Barker’s broadcasting talent became evident when he was hired by a Florida radio station after World War II. His radio career continued after he moved to California, where he hosted his own program, The Bob Barker Show.
NBC producers were regular listeners and offered the presenter a chance to host his first gameshow Truth or Consequences in 1956. But it was his time hosting The Price is Right for which he will be remembered the most. He was the show’s presenter from 1972 until his final appearance in June 2007 which he closed with a farewell message: “I thank you, thank you, thank you for inviting me into your home for more than 50 years.”
It was during his time hosting The Price is Right that Barker became a keen advocate of animal rights. From the late 1980s, he actively supported groups such as the United Activists for Animal Rights and the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society.
Pet welfare
From 1979 until his last appearance in 2007, Barker would end each episode with the following words, “Bob Barker, to remind you, help to control the pet population - have your pets spayed or neutered. Goodbye everybody!” - a plea that was continued by the man who succeeded him in the role, Drew Carey.
Animal overpopulation had become a serious issue in the United States by the 1970s with many pets ending up being abandoned by their owners and left on the streets. Domesticated animals such as cats and dogs depend on humans for shelter and food and cannot survive for long in the wild or on the street.
According to figures from Spay USA, an estimated 70,000 puppies and kittens are born every day in the USA alone - that works out at close to 27 million each year - a large percentage of which need to be put down or euthanized due to overpopulation.
Barker’s legacy was encouraging pet owners to be responsible by having female pets spayed and males pet neutered so that they cannot breed and add to the pet overpopulation problem. It was fitting that he passed away on 26 August - International Dog Day.