{"id":342889,"date":"2026-03-12T19:10:09","date_gmt":"2026-03-12T19:10:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/342889\/"},"modified":"2026-03-12T19:10:09","modified_gmt":"2026-03-12T19:10:09","slug":"actress-fires-back-at-critics-angry-over-attending-mar-a-lago-dog-rescue-event","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/342889\/","title":{"rendered":"Actress fires back at critics angry over attending Mar-a-Lago dog rescue event"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

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Actress Katherine Heigl fired back at critics angry over her attendance at a Mar-a-Lago dog rescue event<\/a> in a statement on Wednesday.<\/p>\n

“Animals don\u2019t vote. The only room they don\u2019t like is the euthanasia room at a shelter,” Heigl told Page Six<\/a> in a statement. “They are completely at the mercy of us, and they have no voice of their own.”<\/p>\n

“This event was about animal advocacy \u2014 something that has always been deeply personal to me,” she continued. “Anyone who knows me knows that protecting animals is one of my greatest passions.”<\/p>\n

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\"Katherine <\/p>\n

Katherine Heigl pictured on the “Today” show on September 21, 2023. (Nathan Congleton\/NBC via Getty Images)<\/p>\n

Heigl attended the Wine, Women & Shoes Benefiting Big Dog Ranch Rescue fundraiser on Sunday at President Donald Trump<\/a>‘s Palm Beach, Florida, home.<\/p>\n

“As a society, we should all come together to protect the voiceless and the innocent,” she added. “This should not be a polarizing issue.”<\/p>\n

Big Dog Ranch Rescue posted on Instagram<\/a> that the event raised $5.5 million.<\/p>\n

Heigl responded to several comments on Instagram<\/a> taking issue with her attendance and the statement that followed.<\/p>\n

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\"Katherine <\/p>\n

Katherine Heigl attends Wine, Women & Shoes Benefiting Big Dog Ranch Rescue at Mar-a-Lago on March 8, 2026, in Palm Beach, Florida.\u00a0 (Manny Hernandez\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n

One comment asked, “Who even is she?”<\/p>\n

“Doesn\u2019t matter. Do you care about animals? If so donate! Time! Money! Attention! Your voice! It doesn\u2019t matter who I am only what I do,” Heigl responded on Instagram.\u00a0<\/p>\n

“The same goes for you! Animals might not be your thing but I bet you care deeply about something that matters! Do your part! Don\u2019t waste your time scrolling and making comments!” she added.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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\"Katherine <\/p>\n

Katherine Heigl attends the 75th Primetime Emmy Awards at Peacock Theater on January 15, 2024, in Los Angeles, California. (Getty Images)<\/p>\n

Heigl revealed<\/a> she ditched Hollywood for Utah in 2023, telling the “Today” show at the time she “needed somewhere to escape.”<\/p>\n

“I think some people are mountain people, and I think some people are beach people,” Heigl explained. “I\u2019m sort of a mountain person and have always been that way.”<\/p>\n

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“And my mom realized, because we went out to LA when I was 17 and hustled and hustled for years, right?” Heigl continued. “And I think she realized at a certain point that I needed somewhere to escape to and kind of clear my head, and that grounded me.”<\/p>\n

Hanna Panreck is an associate editor at Fox News.<\/p>\n