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Katherine Heigl Sues Dog Rescue for Defamation

The actress, who runs a dog rescue organization with her mother, accused another animal rescue operation of spreading false claims.

Actress Katherine Heigl is suing a California dog rescue organization for defamation, People reported. The Ugly Truth star and her mother, Nancy Heigl, founded the Jason Heigl Foundation, an animal rescue operation named after the actress’s late brother, in 2008. On Wednesday, the duo filed a lawsuit against a separate dog rescue called The Pitty Committee. The complaint alleges that its owner, Alyssa Deetman, spread false information about the Jason Heigl Foundation and mismanaged funds, negatively affecting the foundation’s operations. In 2023, the two organizations entered into an agreement in which the Jason Heigl Foundation would donate money to The Pitty Committee in exchange for “rescuing a minimum prescribed number of dogs.” The complaint claims Deetman treated its contributions as a “blank check” and requested additional funds not in the agreement, leading the Jason Heigl Foundation to let the contract expire. In response, Deetman ”engaged in an online smear campaign against JHF and the Heigls,” the suit alleges. In a screenshot of a TikTok post included in the complaint, Deetman said, “The Jason Heigl Foundation is a scam. Another celebrity phony who uses animal advocacy as a shield.” Deetman alleged that they “stick [the dogs] into tiny kennels where they are forgotten about.”