Oh, I have another confession.
This one is pretty lame.
I’ve already told some folks about this and from the look on their faces, yeah, I may have a problem.
I discovered a channel that is 24 hours of the “Price Is Right” from the Barker years. It goes all the way back to the 1970s when the show was revived and probably continues through his retirement in 2007.
I haven’t seen all of them — I haven’t quite reached that level of crazy yet — so it’s difficult to know for sure.
Okay, let me begin by saying this. Bob Barker’s comments didn’t age well. Like, at all. In the 1970s, the comments about women and what was attractive are incredibly cringe-worthy in today’s landscape.
He’s also been accused of not treating the women well on set and believe me, I would never condone anything like that. Ever. I could go into a lengthy rant about that, but this column isn’t the right space for that.
It actually makes me realize how far we’ve come (in some respects) from that mindset.
But, see, the show is from my childhood. My sister and I would watch this show during our summer vacations or when we were sick from school. In fact, we used to pretend we were the contestants and when they made it up on stage, we would run around the basement, pretending it was us.
So there’s something about the show and the music and the prizes and the format that takes me right back to that little girl living in her bizarre fantasy world.
And the outfits! Oh, my word once the show made it into the 80s, the clothes were just … so 80s.
We’re talking crop tops and bangle bracelets and I think there was even a woman who had leg warmers on during one show.
That took me back to what I wore in junior high and high school.
So, by now, because I’ve gone on and on about “The Price Is Right,” you may be wondering how on earth this is going to ever get to animals.
Fear not, my friend. Here we go: I was also reminded that at the end of just about every episode in the later years, Bob Barker would end the show by saying, “Help control the pet population. Have your pets spayed or neutered.”
Bob Barker was probably not a nice person to people, but boy, did he love animals. In fact, he founded a nonprofit organization in 1994 named after his late wife and mother that provided tens of millions of dollars to fund low-cost spay and neuter clinics.
Barker passed away at 99 years old in August 2023 and he left the bulk of his estate to various animal welfare organizations.
I have to say, I continue to be surprised how many people don’t spay and neuter their pets — even in 2026.
I figure people are sick to death of hearing about it, but I will talk to someone who thinks the surgery will “hurt them” or that it’s a new-age idea.
I’m not even kidding about that.
Spaying and neutering both dogs and cats decreases the urge for the animal to spray. In fact, if you catch kittens and puppies when they’re young, before they go through a heat cycle, sometimes they won’t ever develop the urge to mark their territory.
If for no other reason, I would think you’d want to spay a female just to keep her from going into heat. My word, what an irritating time in a pet’s life that can be. In fact, females spayed before their first heat cycle have been found to have greater overall health, according to the Humane Society of the United States.
A lot of animals who are spayed or neutered lead better lives. Many times, removal of the reproductive organs can help alleviate certain diseases and cancers from pups and cats.
After working at an animal shelter for a quarter of a century — man, I should not have put it that way — I can honestly say spaying and neutering is the one, surefire way to help homeless pets and, as Bob tells us, help control the pet population.
I’m at least grateful to Bob Barker for reminding us of that.
Now, if I can just find a way to quit watching those old “The Price Is Right” episodes …
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Jennifer Vanderau is the Public Relations Coordinator for the Cumberland Valley Animal Shelter and can be reached at [email protected]. The shelter accepts both monetary and pet supply donations. For more information, call the shelter at 717-263-5791 or visit the website www.cvas-pets.org. CVAS also operates thrift stores in Chambersburg and Shippensburg. Help support the animals at the shelter by donating to or shopping at the stores.
