Katherine Heigl - WebMD Magazine Cover, May 2013

It is a passion that lead to the creation of the JDHF, to help tackle the massive problem of homeless pets and animal cruelty, and to the development of the Just One pet product line to help provide additional funding for our life saving work.

Find out exactly what Katherine had to say by visiting the WebMD web site and downloading the interview for free! It is available in the May 2013 edition of WebMD magazine out now.

Thankfully, her heart-warming recovery has been nothing short of remarkable, and today Wendy is barely recognizable, completely transformed from the frail dog that greeted us a little over a month and a half ago. The credit for her well-being goes to the expert veterinary care she received and, most importantly, the wonderful love and attention from her foster carer Mia Gyzander who has nursed Wendy back to health.

One of the Heigl Foundation's partners, Lori Weise from Downtown Dog Rescue, helped to connect us with Mia, who has been the perfect foster for Wendy. Since she has been in Mia's care, the 2 year old petite pit bull mix has almost doubled in weight to a now ideal 48 pounds. Wendy's wounds have healed and her broken leg has been repaired - it will be x-rayed for a final time prior to going to a forever home.

Mia reports that despite her ordeal, Wendy shows no signs of anxiety and is a lovely dog to have around. She adores every person she meets - and is all kisses and wags! Quiet and calm around the house Wendy is house broken, crate-trained and socializes well with other pups. Last weekend, after weeks of splint changes and having her wounds tended to, she was finally able to frolic around freely and enjoy a hike with friends without being held back. We can't wait to find the perfect home for this girl who has a new leash on life!

Wendy (right) and Mia enjoy a hike in Griffith Park with friends

Wendy (left) and Mia enjoy a hike in Griffith Park with friends

If you would like to adopt Wendy please get in touch with us by completing the form on her profile page. Thanks to everyone who helped support her recovery - now lets find her a home!

In the interview feature, she talks about the work of the Foundation and her recently launched pet product line Just One - the proceeds from which benefit animals in desperate need.

Demand is typically strongest for small breed dogs and our amazing staff and volunteers work directly with shelters to select friendly, outgoing animals, to fly or drive to destinations in New York, Oregon, Washington State, New Mexico and California. The pets chosen for transport are always animals that have been available to the public, but who were not adopted and would be imminently euthanized in the shelter due to lack of space without our intervention.

After the lucky dogs are selected, they undergo a thorough health inspection and receive a certificate that allows them to travel by a DVM. If they are not already sterilized, they are fixed after arriving at their destination location and spay/neuter certificates are gathered. They are then given plenty of play time at the shelter, so that they can get all of that pent-up energy out! If traveling by air, they are then brought to the airport, dressed in sweaters or coats, given water (we put ice in their dishes, so it melts throughout their trip), then head off. We only transport using planes with specific cargo areas that are directly below the pilot and whose temperature and cabin pressure are regulated. If the dogs are to be driven, they are loaded into a van and head off to their destination with appropriate stops for potty breaks and food.

Once our four-legged friends arrive at their destination, we follow up to make sure that they are in good health and are ultimately adopted. The dogs we select for transport from shelters in Los Angeles have their progress tracked to adoption and we are responsible for their health and well-being. Destination locations are closely screened by both the sending shelter and by the Heigl Foundation - not just forms and paperwork - but actual on-site visits. We review the organization adoption agreement and get references from around the animal welfare world. We want to make certain that all of the animals transported are headed to happy homes!

This process would not be possible without the tireless work of our volunteers and our participating source shelters. Airlines require long lead times and we adhere to temperature restrictions. Our team often has to arrive at the shelter at 1:00 a.m. to prep dogs for an early flight out of Los Angeles to ensure that they are able to travel safely. We also have volunteers across the country who make sweaters for the dogs, donate blankets and towels and give their time to help us.

We have also assisted the spcaLA with their Air Chihuahua flights, transporting an additional 19 dogs to bring our year to date total to 298. This number only reflects the pets were have directly relocated, as Heigl Foundation grants given to animal welfare organizations have also accounted for numerous additional transports. We are on target to comfortably beat our 2012 program tally of saving 768 dogs.

When you donate to the JDHF, you are helping enable a dog to find a new home. Just $60 will subsidize a trip across the country to safe arms and a warm lap.

We are looking for people who would enjoy having a pet for a brief stay before they are transported to a no kill rescue facility that the JDHF has partnered with. The average size of each pup would be 15 pounds and the dog would stay with you for a period of between 2 and 4 weeks. Occasionally, the dogs will not make it on to a scheduled transport due to small health issues, such as a cough or runny nose. In this instance, the stay may be a little longer. The Foundation will supply food, pre-approved medical supplies and basic products such as collars, leashes and bowls.

Interested in signing up or know someone who might be? Please email us at info@jasonheiglfoundation.org or use our contact form to get in touch! We are currently only seeking fosters in the Los Angeles area.

The JDHF Team

Congressman Jim Moran (D-VA), Katherine Heigl & Nancy Heigl

"Used primarily in rural shelters, the gas chamber is often a small metal box, smaller than a large dog crate. Each animal is locked inside the hot metal box and then forced to breathe carbon monoxide until it suffocates. Medium and large dogs suffer the additional cruelty of being in a confined space so small that they cannot even turn around. Many pets surrendered to shelters are elderly, pregnant, or sick. These medical conditions only exacerbate their suffering in the gas chamber, " Joy Austin the director of Healing Hearts Animal Rescue writes in her article for Examiner.com.

Please contact your local congressperson to express your support for the upcoming bill and help put an end to gas chamber euthanization. If you are unsure who your congressperson is or how to contact them, click here, enter your zip code and then follow the link to your representative's individual website.

Thank you for your support!

While she knows how to deftly deal with camera-touting paparazzi at movie premieres and award shows, Katherine revealed that her biggest challenge can be eluding her pup posse at home in order to arrive at these soirees not sporting dog hair on her designer gowns.

"Once I get on my dress, I try to avoid my dogs, but if I can't and they jump on me to say goodbye, I rely on sticky rolling brushes - they are a godsend," she explained laughing. "Of course, I've been out on errands in black leggings and it looks like I’m sprouting fur on my legs. You know what? When I’m not in public or being photographed, I love being covered in dog hair. I love my dogs."

The quarterly magazine, which also covers, health, wellness, training, fashion, pet nutrition and reviews of the latest top pet products in every edition is available in print and via digital download now. For more information and to check out the rest of the article, visit the Fido Friendly web site

Volunteer Appreciation: Mike Morrison & Kellye Bruce

Mike Morrison and his wife Kellye Bruce are volunteer trainers for our Learn To Be A Best Friend initiative. Since May 2012, they have generously given up their weekends to run the amazing dog obedience program at Hollydale Park.

The couple first joined the JDHF at several of our adoption days in Glendale and soon jumped in to help us walk and train our rescue dogs at their boarding facility in the winter of 2011. By walking and training the Heigl Hounds, Mike and Kellye were able to enhance the quality of life and behavior of the dogs. This was tremendously beneficial to the adoption process, helping to secure forever homes for many of our four-legged friends.

When the Heigl Foundation started the Learn To Be A Best Friend program in Baldwin Park the response from the public was overwhelming. A decision was made to expand the course to the South Gate area of Los Angeles, where volunteers had to be recruited to run the new class. We were thrilled when Mike and Kellye accepted the invitation to take charge. The innovative program provides free basic dog training for attendees and a voucher for spay/neuter surgery for any unaltered dog that completes the class.

We are extremely lucky to have two dedicated people to help the Foundation and the residents of South Gate train their pets. To date, Mike and Kellye have helped over 150 animals!

Although Mike had to undergo surgery on his knee at the beginning of the year, he has not allowed the operation to slow him down. After just a few weeks R & R he was back at Hollydale Park to conduct a full dog training class.

The JDHF team and all of the families who have benefited from the expertise of Mike and Kellye are so very thankful for their wonderful work, generosity and kindness.

Weighing just 28lbs, approximately half her healthy weight, the two year old Pit Mix was taken to Dr. Stan Kunin at the Veterinary Medical Center in Woodland Hills for treatment and to get an overview of her condition. Assessing the open wound that had clearly never been treated when it was inflicted, Dr. Kunin discovered that Wendy also had a newly broken right front leg. He advised that Wendy would need to have constant care to tend to her injuries and be fed several small meals a day to help her gain weight as quickly as possible.

Photographs (click images to enlarge)

Despite her pain, Wendy's attitude remains unaffected. She is still in great spirits, full of affection and enthusiasm for people. She is just looking for some much deserved love and attention.

If you would like to help Wendy, please check out her Fundly page. 100% of your donation will go towards paying for her care and medical treatment. Any additional contributions over and above the costs will be used to fund adoption, rescue and transport programs focused on the saving the lives of companion animals. It will also benefit spay/neuter, education and training policies that help reduce the number of unwanted litters abandoned to shelters and subsequent euthanization.

Everyone at the Heigl Foundation wants Wendy to know that she will be taken care of throughout her recovery, that she will never experience suffering again and that she can look forward to living a long and happy life in a loving home.