Katherine Heigl Makes Rare Red Carpet Appearance for Dog Rescue Fundraiser Hosted at Mar-a-Lago

NEED TO KNOW

• Katherine Heigl made a rare red carpet appearance at the Wine, Women & Shoes annual fundraiser hosted at Mar-a-Lago

• Organizers say the event raised $5.5 million for Big Dog Ranch Rescue

• Prior to her latest outing, the Grey’s Anatomy alum’s most recent public appearance was at the 2024 Emmy Awards

Katherine Heigl returned to the spotlight for a cause close to her heart.

On Sunday, March 8, the Grey’s Anatomy alum, 47, made a rare red carpet appearance for the Wine, Women & Shoes annual fundraiser, held at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Fla.

Organizers say the three-day event raised $5.5 million for Big Dog Ranch Rescue, the largest no-kill dog rescue in the United States.

“This year was a record-breaking success and boosted awareness for Big Dog Ranch Rescue,” founder Lauree Simmons said of the fundraising weekend. “It was a heartwarming display of community spirit, uniting style enthusiasts and animal advocates for a truly monumental cause.”

Heigl’s latest red carpet appearance marks her first since she reunited with her Grey’s Anatomy costars — including Ellen Pompeo, Justin Chambers, Chandra Wilson and James Pickens Jr. — at the 2024 Emmy Awards.

After the event, DJ Benjamin Walker shared a video of the actress dancing to the hit Elton John song “Benny and the Jets” in a bright red strapless Reem Acra gown, recreating the iconic moment from her 2008 film 27 Dresses.

“I love a good rom-com so when i saw @katherineheigl, I knew IMMEDIATELY there was one song to end the night and one song only…. #IYKYK #27dresses,” he captioned the video.

During her time away from the spotlight, Heigl has been raising her and husband Josh Kelley’s kids — Naleight, 16, Adelaide, 13, and Joshua, 9 — in Utah. And in September 2023, she told Jenna Bush Hager on Today with Hoda & Jenna that she knew it was the “right choice for our family.”

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“I think some people are mountain people and I think some people are beach people,” she explained at the time. “I’m sort of a mountain person and have always been that way. And my mom realized, because we went out to L.A. when I was 17 and hustled and hustled for years, right? 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.”

Heigl, who is the proud owner of rescue animals, has also been a vocal advocate for animals over the years. In March 2022, she told PEOPLE that she had been working tirelessly to advocate for the Utah State legislature to pass a bill that would end the use of gas chambers as a means of euthanizing shelter animals in the state.

“It’s preposterous and pretty mind-blowing, actually,” she said at the time. “Utah, sadly, is one of three states that still does this. It’s such an antiquated and, quite frankly, sadistic way of euthanizing. There’s a million reasons the bill should pass to end it. I can’t think of a single reason why it wouldn’t, except if our elected officials have a sadistic streak, and that cannot be condoned on any level.”

“I have said this before, and I’ll say it again,” she added. “The mark of a civilized society is how you treat the voiceless and the innocent among us.”

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