For decades, the former "Price is Right" host has urged viewers to spay and neuter their pets. After he retired, he donated $2.5 million to renovate a Los Angeles building that will become the West Coast headquarters of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA).
"It is money well-spent. I don't know where you get more for your dollar, so far as protecting animals is concerned, than you get from PETA," Barker said.
A red carpet, all-vegan and dog-friendly grand opening was held Thursday. PETA is happy to be a part of the community.
"We'll be at the ball park, and we'll be at concerts and that kind of thing, just talking to people about the easy things you can do to help animals through your diet, only buying cosmetics that weren't tested on animals and, of course, never wearing leather or fur," said Lisa Lange, PETA's senior vice president of communications.
The Bob Barker Building on Sunset Boulevard will house PETA's media, marketing, youth outreach and campaign departments. It will have a new art deco façade, a rebuilt public sidewalk and eco-friendly cork floors. It will also feature rooftop solar panels.
There is also a wall of donor names, with Barker's prominently on display. When it comes to animal rights, he feels great satisfaction in the strides that have been made.
"We've really accomplished a lot, and we're going to accomplish a lot more," Barker said. "There's going to be a time when people will look back on this age and they'll say, 'They were still cutting up animals in laboratories? They had animals doing tricks in circuses?'"
The Bob Barker Building also includes a room named in honor of another PETA supporter: Pamela Anderson.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
