Actress Katherine Heigl fired back at fans outraged over her attending a dog rescue charity event at Mar-a-Lago, given that it is also President Donald Trump’s Florida residence.
“Animals don’t vote. The only room they don’t like is the euthanasia room at a shelter,” Heigl told Page Six in a statement on Wednesday. “They are completely at the mercy of us, and they have no voice of their own.”
“This event was about animal advocacy — something that has always been deeply personal to me,” the Grey’s Anatomy star continued. “Anyone who knows me knows that protecting animals is one of my greatest passions.”
Heigl reportedly attended a fundraised called “Wine, Women & Shoes Benefiting Big Dog Ranch Rescue” on Sunday at President Trump’s home in Palm Beach, Florida.
“As a society, we should all come together to protect the voiceless and the innocent,” the Knocked Up actress added. “This should not be a polarizing issue.”
The Mar-a-Lago event raised over $5.5 million in support of Big Dog Ranch Rescue, the organization announced in a Thursday Instagram post.
“From heartfelt moments to dazzling fashion, spirited auctions, and the incredible dogs at the heart of it all, the weekend was a beautiful reminder of what can happen when passion and purpose come together,” Big Dog Ranch Rescue said.
At the charity event — co-chaired by President Trump’s daughter-in-law, Lara Trump — Heigl posed for photos with various attendees, including U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro, and Dog Whisperer dog trainer Cesar Millan, among others.
Social media users, however, complained about the actress attending the event on Instagram, with Heigl herself taking to the comment section to directly respond to several of them.
“Nope. Bye,” one Instagram user wrote, to which Heigl replied, “Bye!”
“Never liked her, now I know why,” another reacted, adding, “Plenty of animal orgs and events that advocate for/support animals without being affiliated with monster. Line in the sand when it comes to Donald Trump.”
Heigl responded: “Really? Line in the sand? So if you saw a dog on the street that was being tortured and set on fire and someone with a MAGA hat was trying to put out the fire you’d walk away? You wouldn’t try to help that animal because the other person there doing what they could didn’t subscribe to your political opinion?”
“I’m pretty sure that sentiment makes you the bad guy… not the republican trying to save the abused animal,” the Ugly Truth actress added.
In response to a third commenter who said Heigl’s attire “screamed Republican” and claimed the actress is “trying to make deals, no matter who’s offering,” the 47-year-old wrote, “Really? So I’m using animal advocacy to what? Line my pockets?”
“Interesting… seems to be costing me more than I can make… but that’s ok,” Heigl continued. “At least my parents taught me to give more than I get. Taught me to do more than just judge.”
“You seem… really meaningful in today’s society. Just keep screaming your virtue signaling bullshit while doing nothing that really matters. Good on you!” the Suits actress added.
“Who even is she?” another Instagram user asked, to which Heigl responded, “Doesn’t matter. Do you care about animals? If so donate! Time! Money! Attention! Your voice! It doesn’t matter who I am only what I do.”
“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’t waste your time scrolling and making comments!” the State of Affairs actress added.
In response to another social media user who claimed dogs have “better judgement” than Heigl, the actress quipped, “Because your judgment is so sound? Just curious… what do you do that really matters… do you think comments on an Instagram post matter to animals who have had humans pour gasoline on them and set them on fire?”
“Who have had humans vote conservative or liberal but have been left to starve and suffer?” Heigl further inquired, adding, “Seriously… I’m very curious what you truly think matters to the voiceless and innocent… actions or just Instagram posturing?”
Alana Mastrangelo is a reporter for Breitbart News. You can follow her on Facebook and X at @ARmastrangelo, and on Instagram.
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