Six years after ending a 35-year gig hosting “The Price Is Right,” Bob Barker is still giving away money. But these days, it’s animals on the receiving end.


At 89, the celebrated game show host has made promoting animal welfare a full-time job, and he couldn’t be happier. But the cause is nothing new to Barker, who launched the DJ&T Foundation in 1995 to subsidize spay/neuter clinics around the country, and has been actively involved with PETA, the Performing Animal Welfare Society, Animal Defenders International and Mercy for Animals.


Most recently, with tears in his eyes, he welcomed three African elephants to a Northern California sanctuary[1] after years of effort and a nearly $1 million donation to relocate them from the Toronto Zoo.


Barker sat down with The Huffington Post to talk about his love for animals, why he wants to give away every last penny, and his main sidekick these days, Mister Rabbit.


How did you become such an advocate for animal rights? I am one of millions of people who was just born with a deep love of animals. I have been devoted to animals since I can remember. As a kid I picked up strays and tried in my clumsy ways to help injured animals. I’ve done it all my life, and now I’m doing it on a much larger scale.


What are some of your proudest moments as an animal rights activist? When I stood and watched those three elephants from the Toronto Zoo come off the bus and arrive at the PAWS sanctuary. Another time, the Animal Defenders International was trying to get Bolivia to pass a bill that would prevent circuses appearing in Bolivia if they had any animals at all, and eventually we got that bill passed. But then there were 84 lions that had to be transferred out of Bolivia and into the U.S., and I paid for that. I went to Denver to welcome the lions, and they’re in a sanctuary there now. I felt just as joyous at the site of those beautiful lions as I did when I saw those elephants.


It sounds like devoting yourself to something you’re passionate about has been quite fulfilling. Any time an animal can be helped anywhere in any way, it pleases me. I’ve had a wonderful life doing something I thoroughly enjoy on TV and being well-paid for it, but rather than just writing a will and leaving money to be distributed after my death, I decided to start giving it away. I would recommend that to other people; give your money away while you’re still alive. If you can afford it, I would recommend you check out your local organizations, choose carefully and make some contributions. If you are able to physically go to your local organization and volunteer, they all need help, and I think that you’ll find that it’s very satisfying.


That must take up a lot of your time. How does it feel to stay so active? It keeps you sharp, mentally. I’m on the phone with someone, or I’m writing something or I’m reading something. It’s a work of love, and its good for me. I think that people who retire and decide to sit and watch television are making a terrible mistake.


When you do need a break, how do you like to unplug and recharge? I rest. I’ll be 90 next month and am still really healthy for my age, but when I came home from this trip to the PAWS sanctuary, I was tired. I just rested for a day or two and this morning I did a full workout with 20 minutes on the elliptical and light weights, and I feel great.


What’s your secret to living well at 90? If you don’t eat properly and you don’t exercise, you ain’t going to enjoy the golden years.


Any animals keeping you company at home? Right now I have only one animal, but he’s a very special one. He’s Mister Rabbit. My housekeeper was coming to work one morning, and there was this baby rabbit just sitting outside in the cold yard. She picked him up and brought him here to me. I was still doing “Price” so I talked around with people on the show about giving him away, but people wanted to put him in a cage, so I kept him. The vet said the average age was four to six years and sometimes 10. Mister Rabbit is now 10 and a half and he still runs all over the house.



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    <strong>You Might Know Her From:</strong> The first female comedian to be invited to chat with Johnny Carson on his couch, DeGeneres has become a household name after years of working in television on shows like <em>Ellen</em> and her current role as host of her own talk show, aptly named <em>The Ellen DeGeneres Show</em>. <strong>How She Helps Animals:</strong> DeGeneres is an avid animal lover; she has said she wanted to be a veterinarian when she was a kid. The star is the co-owner of Halo, Purely for Pets, a pet care company that offers a holistic approach to pet products. Her animal activism has extended to Facebook — in the fall of 2012, the comedian launched a Facebook game called <a href="https://www.facebook.com/joykingdomgame" target="_blank">Joy Kingdom</a> where players can choose to donate earned currency to animal charities.




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    <strong>You Might Know Her From</strong>: The petite blonde has starred in movies like <em>Forgetting Sarah Marshall </em>and television shows <em>Veronica Mars</em> and <em>House of Lies</em>. <strong>How She Helps Animals</strong>: Aside from her very well-known <a href="http://www.vetstreet.com/our-pet-experts/pet-scoop-kristen-bell-celebrates-her-birthday-with-a-sloth-will-and-kates-puppy" target="_blank">love of sloths</a>, Bell has worked as an advocate for shelters and fostered animals. She has been a spokesperson for the Helen Woodward Animal Center, which <a href="http://www.animalcenter.org/about_hwac/celebrity_endorsements.aspx" target="_blank">honored the actress with a Humane Award in 2009</a>.




  • Bob Barker


    <strong>You Might Know Him From</strong>: Barker served as the host of <em>The Price Is Right </em>for 35 years, retiring in 2007. <strong>How He Helps Animals</strong>: Those who have seen <em>The Price Is Right</em> know that Barker closed each show with a plea to viewers to spay and neuter their pets. He was the spokesperson for Be Kind to Animals Week in 1985 and in 1987 and stepped down as host of the Miss USA pageant because real animal furs were offered as prizes. The former game show host's <a href="http://www.djtfoundation.org/" target="_blank">DJ&T Foundation</a> has raised millions of dollars and helped support animal rescue and neutering programs.




  • Ian Somerhalder


    <strong>You Might Know Him From</strong>: The <a href="http://www.crittr.com/whos-cuter-ian-somerhalder-or-grumpy-cat" target="_blank">animal-loving actor</a> has been featured on television shows like <em>Smallville</em> and <em>Lost</em>. He can currently be seen on <em>The Vampire Diaries</em>. <strong>How He Helps Animals</strong>: The actor formed the <a href="http://www.isfoundation.com/animals" target="_blank">Ian Somerhalder Foundation</a> to help promote pet adoption and support no-kill animal shelters. The organization is currently fundraising to open a sanctuary for homeless pets.




  • Sarah McLachlan


    <strong>You Might Know Her From</strong>: A founder of the Lilith Fair music festival, she's the woman behind hit singles like "I Will Remember You" and "Building a Mystery." <strong>How She Helps Animals</strong>: Animals are near and dear to McLachlan's heart — she has been an active supporter of the ASPCA. The singer's <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9gspElv1yvc" target="_blank">commercial</a>, which features her hit song "Angel," has helped raise more than $30 million for the organization since 2007.




  • Betty White


    <strong>You Might Know Her From</strong>: Decades in television, starring in <em>The Mary Tyler Moore Show</em> and <em>Golden Girls</em>, made her a household name, and her current shows, <em>Hot in Cleveland</em> and prank show <em>Betty White's Off Their Rockers</em>, have introduced her to a whole new generation. <strong>How She Helps Animals</strong>: White has served in leadership positions in multiple animal organizations, including the <a href="http://www.lazoo.org/about/glaza/" target="_blank">Greater Los Angeles Zoo Association</a>. <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/betty-white/morris-animal-foundation_b_2487153.html" target="_blank">Her 91st birthday wish</a> was for fans and animal lovers to support the <a href="http://www.morrisanimalfoundation.org/" target="_blank">Morris Animal Foundation</a>, an organization she has worked with for more than 40 years to help fund medical and health research for animals.




  • Emmylou Harris


    <strong>You Might Know Her From</strong>: Her folk singing career has spanned four decades, and she has seen chart-topping commercial success with hits like "Mister Sandman" and "To Know Him Is to Love Him." <strong>How She Helps Animals</strong>: Sure, she's a world-famous musician, but that hasn’t stopped Harris from giving back in a very personal and hands-on way. The singer has her very own animal shelter called <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Bonapartes-Retreat/239146038137" target="_blank">Bonaparte's Retreat</a>, which helps rescue dogs from euthanasia.




  • Ke$ha


    <strong>You Might Know Her From</strong>: Her string of radio hits has included "Die Young" and "Your Love Is My Drug," and her unusual red-carpet style has raised plenty of eyebrows. <strong>How She Helps Animals</strong>: The pop star has a soft spot for animals of all kinds and has used her popularity to serve as a mouthpiece for animal rights. She has spoken out against cruelty to wild animals like seals, lions and sharks, as well as supporting cruelty-free cosmetics. Her outspoken approach to animal rights has earned her <a href="http://www.humanesociety.org/about/events/genesis_awards/wyler_award.html" target="_blank">the 2013 Wyler Award from The Humane Society of the United States</a>.




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    <strong>You Might Know Them From</strong>: He's a rapper-turned-actor who stars on <a href="http://www.nbc.com/law-and-order-special-victims-unit/" target="_blank"><em>Law & Order: Special Victims Unit</em></a>. She's a model and the co-star of the couple's reality show <a href="http://www.eonline.com/shows/ice_loves_coco" target="_blank"><em>Ice Loves Coco</em></a>. <strong>How They Help Animals</strong>: The couple gushes about their English <a href="http://www.vetstreet.com/dogs/bulldog" target="_blank">Bulldog</a>, Spartacus, on their reality show, but they spend time off camera helping pets in shelters find homes and have helped raise money for the Mt. Pleasant Animal Shelter in New Jersey.




  • Sophia Bush


    <strong>You Might Know Her From</strong>: The actress has starred on <em>One Tree Hill</em> and <em>Partners</em>. <strong>How She Helps Animals</strong>: Bush has rescued multiple Pit Bulls and has been an advocate for pet adoption in the press. She has also taken to <a href="https://twitter.com/SophiaBush" target="_blank">Twitter</a>, where she has close to 750,000 followers, in support of PETA and other animal charities.




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    <strong>You Might Know Them From</strong>: The shock jock has been scandalizing airwaves for decades, and his wife is an actress and television host. <strong>How They Help Animals</strong>: The couple has become actively involved with the <a href="http://www.animalleague.org/?gclid=CL7WnNrd3rYCFQYw4AodlXQAaA" target="_blank">North Shore Animal League</a>, and in 2011, they helped raise money for the organization by producing adorable calendars full of precious pets.