Besides finding success in the entertainment industry, Barker made his mark as a supporter of animal rights.
In fact, his commitment to the cause was what initially captivated Burnet.
The pair stayed incredibly close over the following decades.
Still, Barker was adamant about not getting married, and his reasoning concerned his past.
He said, “I never had any inclination to remarry.
He continued, “For some men, maybe a second or third marriage would work out fine.
In my case, I had my marriage and she was the love of my life.”
And we stayed in love.”
Barker continued to commemorate his wife after she died.
The two first crossed paths at an animal adoption event that Barker co-hosted in 1983, per People.
They ended up bonding over their mutual passion for the movement.
In the following years, Burnet and Barker tirelessly devoted themselves to the cause.
Interestingly, Barker’s late wife Dorothy Jo Gideon was also an animal rights advocate.
She stopped wearing fur coats before anyone was stopping.
She became a vegetarian before people were becoming vegetarian.
And I gradually did the same thing with her."
Barker clearly saw similar qualities in Burnet and Gideon.
Barker’s organization, which he founded in 1994, offers affordable spaying and neutering services.
