Corrections and clarifications: An earlier version of this story misstated Lara Trump’s role at Big Dog Ranch. USA TODAY regrets the error.
PALM BEACH — Katherine Heigl made a rare public appearance at President Donald Trump’s “Summer White House,” Mar-a-Lago.
The onetime “Grey’s Anatomy” star, 47, joined fellow television stars and fashion designers to help Big Dog Ranch Rescue raise $5.5 million during three days of fundraising.
Heigl said she attended to support Big Dog, which has saved more than 88,000 dogs since 2008. The actress said Big Dog’s work to “solve the pet overpopulation issue” is aligned with her family’s foundation, which she runs with her mother, Nancy.
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Heigl, who is rarely in the public eye since a run as rom-com queen in the mid-2000s, has not been open about her politics. The Trump-owned property hosts the fundraiser annually.
“Our biggest goal right now really is to diminish the number of unwanted litters coming into this country, which is what is overcrowding our shelters,” Heigl told the Palm Beach Post, part of the USA TODAY Network.
“We hear the word ‘shelter,’ and we think these animals are safe there, and they are not. It’s not the shelter’s fault, and it’s not the fault of the shelters’ workers. It’s that our country is overrun with puppy-mill breeders,” she continued.
Actress Katherine Heigl holds a rescued dog at Big Dog Ranch Rescue’s fundraiser at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach on Sunday, March 8, 2026.
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A new federal “strike force” has helped to spearhead a crackdown on “bad actors” in the breeding industry with the U.S. Justice and Agriculture departments. The president’s daughter-in-law, Lara Trump, is also honorary co-chair of Big Dog.
Another MAGA-world figure, Jeanine Pirro, a former Fox News show host now serving as the U.S. attorney in Washington, D.C., was also in attendance and called Big Dog an organization “you can count on.”
Pirro, who has four rescues, said the organization is “committed to making sure” dogs rescued from certain euthanasia at shelters get homes. But she also highlighted the group’s Veterans Service Dog Training Program, which has paired more than 200 service dogs with U.S. military veterans living with PTSD and other disabilities.
“You see concrete results,” Pirro said of Big Dog Ranch. “You see people adopting dogs. You see people giving money when there’s an emergency and a dog needs surgery. It’s real, it’s effective and it matters.”
The event also welcomed TV personality Cesar Millan, a dog rehabilitator and trainer. Millan stressed that dogs end up in shelters because of human error or neglect. He encouraged the public to “be of service,” noting there are many ways to help.
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“Everybody can cooperate,” he told the Palm Beach Post. “You can adopt a rescued dog. You can foster a dog. You can volunteer to go walk a dog at the shelter, or clean a kennel. It’s a pack effort where everybody can help in some shape or form.”
Lauree Simmons, Big Dog’s founder, agreed, saying she loves “the fact that there are so many animal lovers out there” wanting to support Big Dog’s efforts and programs.
“The biggest thing is we need to spread awareness, because 80% of America has no idea how many incredible, wonderful adoptable family dogs are dying in shelters simply because they are overwhelmed and overcrowded,” she said. “We can fix this problem.”
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Lara Trump, Katherine Heigl, Jeanine Pirro at Big Dog Ranch Mar-a-Lago