The Price Is Right celebrated its 40th anniversary this morning with a special episode that featured returning contestants from the past four decades– but Bob Barker, who hosted the show for 35 years, was nowhere to be seen. Barker tells The Associated Press the show’s producers “chose to ignore me, which is fine”. But, he added, “When you celebrate a 40th anniversary, you would think you’d have the fellow who did the show for 35 years there”. Barker is shown in several clips, but was not invited to appear on the program or attend the taping. ”They haven’t even offered me a DVD,” Barker told the AP. The longtime animal rights advocate believes he was omitted from the show because he was critical of producers for awarding contestants tickets to Sea World and the Calgary Stampede, which he claims abuses animals. While he was host, he also asked the show to stop giving away fur coats and leather jackets, and they agreed, he said. Had he been invited to attend, he said he would have repeated his show-closing plea to spay and neuter pets. ”That’s my message on any occasion and every occasion,” he said. He retired from the show in 2007 and was replaced by Drew Carey. His last appearance on the show was in 2009. By the way, he told the AP he planned on watching the show, but missed it. He had it down on his calendar for Wednesday.