Companions

Bob Barker: The Interview

Genial former TV host has no shortage of pet projects

SKY: Tell us about your first pet.

BOB BARKER: I was only 2 or 3 years old, and I didn’t even remember it, but I saw a picture of me as a little boy in one of Mother’s books of photos. I was there with [what] looked like a collie mix, and I asked her about it, and she said the dog was my first dog, and she said I named it Beau.

SKY: How did you become an animal-rights activist?

BB: I was asked by the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals of Los Angeles to help them with some promotions. . . . After that, I was invited to be the honorary chairman of Be Kind to Animals Week in Los Angeles. As a result of that, I did television, radio and newspaper interviews, and I was invited to participate in some of their activities. I had made financial contributions to animal-oriented organizations, but I had never actively participated. So I started working with a couple of them, and the more I became aware . . . of the terrible mistreatment and exploitation of animals, why, I just felt compelled to do what I could to help rectify the situation. And that’s what I’ve been doing for the last 35 years or so.

SKY: How does your DJ&T foundation work?

BB: We make two types of grants. One is the SNAP—Spay Neuter Assistance Program grant—and we will tell an organization that they now have a grant of $10,000. So the person makes an application to this organization, the organization makes a decision and gives them a voucher, they go to the [participating] veterinarian [in their area] to have the animal spayed or neutered, and then each veterinarian at the end of the month submits an invoice. . . . We have organizations that we’re assisting in every state. Then we have a Clinic Grant. Maybe they need $50,000 worth of equipment, then they can make an application for $50,000.

SKY: What’s next for your spaying-and-neutering cause?

BB: We’ve [recently] passed an ordinance here, mandatory spaying and neutering in the county of Los Angeles. We already have other cities interested in this bill, to the extent that I was invited to Dallas and Chicago. I couldn’t go, but I wrote a letter to the mayor and to the council members in both cities, urging them to pass the bill. They have indeed passed it in Dallas, and hopefully it will pass in Chicago. And it’s going to spread across the country.

SKY: How does this ordinance work? What if I want my dog to have puppies?

BB: You can get a permit for one litter. Now, if you have a dog and it’s over 6 weeks of age and you keep your dog home . . . it could live its entire life without being spayed or neutered. But the moment that your dog is picked up by animal control . . . and it is not spayed or neutered, you will be notified that you must have it [done] within 30 days. . . . If your dog is picked up a second time, and you’ve been told that it should be spayed or neutered [but it hasn’t been], then you’re fined, and told you have 30 days. Then, if it’s picked up a third time . . . it’s a $500 fine and you’re told again. And if it’s picked up a fourth time, then it’s a felony and you will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law. So no one’s going to go around knocking on doors. It’s not an invasive ordinance.

SKY: Have you been able to devote more time to animal rights in your retirement?

BB: I used to spend the mornings working on foundation business when I was taping “Price Is Right.” I’d do a lot of work in the morning, and go in and do the shows in the afternoon. Since my retirement, I’m doing even more work on the foundation. Beyond that I’m very active on other projects. I’ve been working with United Activists for Animal Rights, an organization that was founded and is still directed by Nancy Burnette, who works for [my] foundation. I’ve worked with her for more than 25 years. . . . And we have been doing a lot of work with an organization called PAWS—Performing Animal Welfare Society. They’re good friends of mine. I think that an elephant is healthier and happier in the PAWS sanctuary than anyplace else, with the exception of its natural habitat.

SKY: Are there any current trends in animal rights that have caught your eye?

BB: One of the things that I have seen change that warms the cockles of my heart is what is happening in the cosmetics industry. For years, they were doing horrible things to animals in the manufacture of cosmetics, and testing of the most barbaric types; today, if you go into a drugstore and go down the [cosmetics] aisle, look at how many of them say “no animal testing.” I’ve talked with people who work in the cosmetics departments, and they tell me, “Without that, you can’t sell them.” And that’s wonderful!

SKY: Please tell us more about your beautiful home.

BB: The first house built in Hollywood was on this lot; it was an adobe, and it was purchased by Harrison Grey [Otis]. . . . He lived in the old adobe, and he named it The Outpost. And then this house was built in 1929, and Dorothy Jo and I bought it in 1979, and she lived here until her death [in 1981]. It has many features. For instance, these leaded windows and the hand-painted ceilings, and the padres walk [an elevated walkway] out there is hand-carved, and tile floors and original tile in all the baths. . . . In 1999 it was indeed named “Historic Cultural Monument #673.” So they will never be able to change this house without the Cultural Heritage Commission’s approval. And as I say in my book [Priceless Memories, due out next April ], “Nothing is forever, but this was the best I could do.”—Waynette Goodson

PHOTO BY TONY ESPARZA/CBS