LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Bob Barker, the host of popular game show 'The Price is Right' breathed his last at the age of 99, Meaww has previously reported.
Loved ones of the iconic television personality, including Nancy Burnet, his longtime girlfriend and the co-executor of Barker's estate have reacted to his death.
Burnet was also responsible for keeping him healthy for years. Following the news of Barker's demise, Burnet released a statement to ET.
"I am so proud of the trailblazing work Barker and I did together to expose the cruelty to animals in the entertainment industry and including working to improve the plight of abused and exploited animals in the United States and internationally," Burnet shared.
"We were great friends over these 40 years. He will be missed," she added.
Burnet and Barker first met at an animal adoption event
On March 27, 1983, Burnet and Barker first met at an animal adoption event which was hosted by Barker and actor Earl Holliman, as per Fox News.
However, at that time, Burnet was not aware of 'The Price Is Right' or Barker, but she became intrigued when a friend told her about his involvement in the spay-neuter movement.
She approached him about a different project and they connected over a shared love of animal rights advocacy.
Burnet founded United Activists for Animal Rights
In 1987, Burnet founded United Activists for Animal Rights, an animal rights group based in California.
She serves as the president of the organization which was run by Barker prior to his death. She has also served as the director of the DJ&T Foundation since 2000.
The foundation which was formed in 1994 provides spaying and neutering services at a cheap rate.
DJ&T was named after Barker’s late wife Gideon and mother Matilda "Tillie" Barker.
Burnet and Barker got involved with animal issues everywhere they traveled
"Just about everywhere we ever traveled, we became involved in some animal issue or something," she told Fox News.
The duo tried to organize a protest after learning a circus was coming to town during one trip to the Cayman Islands. "They were happy to see us leave Cayman," she shared.
Something similar happened when they traveled to Hawaii and found an injured pit bull loose in a tourist area begging for food.
They believed the dog had been in a fight since they saw a piece of the skin on its side had been ripped away.
"We found out that it wasn't dog fighting at all. It was because of hunting pigs with pits," Burnet said.
"And so we tried to get a campaign going for that, and they were happy to see us leave there. We weren't welcome in a lot of places."
Barker donated over 400 acres to a nonprofit rescue organization
Barker donated over 400 acres in Moreno Valley, California, in 2018, to DonkeyLand, which is a nonprofit rescue organization that works with injured and sick wild donkeys and burros.
Burnet called the donation Barker’s “greatest living legacy,” and in total, he has donated millions to DonkeyLand through his charitable organizations.
"That was a disaster," Burnet told Fox News. "Donkeys were being hit by cars, trains, it was a hideous situation. Five hundred acres that's fenced and that's thanks to Bob Barker and Nancy Burnet and the foundation for the generous contributions for the sanctuary and the fencing," Chad Cheatham, vice-president of Donkeyland told NBC Los Angeles.
