TV Icon Bob Barker Opposes Animal Abuse In Pending Bill

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Television icon, Bob Barker, is best known for his time hosting “The Price is Right” where he coined the famous phrase: “Help control the pet population. Have your pets spayed or neutered.” And now the former television host and animal activist is speaking out for farm animals and the unimaginable abuse they endure by opposing the rewritten Arizona “ag-gag” bill.

The long-time vegetarian wrote an urgent letter on PETA’s behalf begging every GOP member of the state Senate to reject the bill. Barker said, “The revised H.B. 2587, while sparing whistleblowers and undercover investigators from prosecution, would still interfere with authorities’ ability to hold abusers on factory farms accountable.” He added, “With the amendments, farmed animals would be denied the protections of existing animal- cruelty statutes and instead be covered by a much weaker law, and egregious cases of animal abuse would never be considered felonies for first-time offenders.”

He goes on to mention an effort by PETA and Mary Matalin highlighting PETA’s efforts with officials around the country to prosecute farm animal abusers. The bill would outlaw undercover investigations that expose farm animal abusers and lead to their prosecutions. He said, “One such case, in which workers beat and sexually abused pigs on an Iowa farm, was even deemed a “wake-up call” for the agriculture industry by Pork Magazine. Although the amended bill might not prevent this evidence from reaching authorities, it would hinder their ability to prosecute offenders effectively and to end the abuse.”

Barker asks that instead of passing the measure, we focus on justice for farm animals by stopping their abuse and penalizing those who are found guilty. He said, “Diverse figures ranging from meat-eaters such as Matalin and Arpaio to animal-welfare expert Temple Grandin and vegetarians like me are joined by millions of consumers who want to ensure that workers on farms are held to at least the minimum standards under the law.”

We applaud Bob Barker for all he has done for animals since his switch to a plant-based lifestyle in 1979 and support his efforts to end farm animal abuse everywhere.

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