Actress and animal welfare advocate Katherine Heigl talks about the Jason Heigl Foundation, her dog food company Badlands Ranch, and what she’s learned from rescuing dogs.
What first drew you to your important work advocating for animal welfare and pet wellness?
My mom and I founded the Jason Heigl Foundation in 2008 because we believe every animal deserves a chance. It was inspired by my brother Jason and the compassion he had for all living things. We started with spay and neuter programs because that’s where the crisis starts. Millions of animals end up in shelters every year, and too many don’t make it out. That work shaped everything I believe about what wellness really means for animals. Over the years, the Foundation has saved more than 25,000 lives. My mom and I have personally put more than $8 million into it because this isn’t a cause for us. It’s a promise.
How has rescuing animals changed your perspective on pet health and wellness?
It’s changed it completely. My family has adopted multiple rescues over the years, and you see what neglect actually does when they first come home. The coat is dull, there’s no spark in the eyes, and the digestion is a mess. Then you watch what happens when they get real care and proper nutrition. Weeks go by, and suddenly they’re running around, the shine in their coat comes back, and they’re a different dog. Seeing that transformation is what pushed me to start Badlands Ranch. I wanted to make something I’d feel good putting in front of my own dogs, food with real ingredients that I actually trust. For me, wellness starts with what’s in the bowl.
What should pet owners look for when choosing high-quality food?
Flip the bag over. Seriously, ignore the front, ignore the marketing, and read the actual ingredients. You want whole animal protein first. Real beef, real organ meat, real salmon, not “meat meal” or something you can’t pronounce. If you see corn, wheat, soy, or a bunch of fillers, keep walking. The other big thing is how it’s made. Most kibble gets cooked at such high temperatures that, as our veterinary advisor Dr. Vaid, D.V.M., explains, a lot of the nutrients just aren’t there anymore by the time it hits the bowl. Your dog deserves a meal, not a marketing campaign. That’s why we air-dry our food low and slow. You get the convenience of dry food without destroying what makes it nutritious. With Badlands Ranch Superfood Complete, almost all of it is real meat, real organs, real salmon. The rest is clean, whole ingredients like seeds, vegetables, and fruit. That’s it. Nothing weird. Nothing your dog doesn’t need.
How can pet parents support their pets’ longevity through lifestyle choices?
Start with the bowl. You can’t out-exercise a bad diet, and that’s true for dogs the same way it’s true for us. Beyond nutrition, I think wellness is the whole picture. Daily movement matters more than people realize. Our dogs have acres to roam, but even a good long walk changes a dog’s life. Mental stimulation, too. They need engagement, puzzles, something to figure out. Don’t skip the vet. Consistent checkups catch things early, and early is always easier than late. The biggest thing I’d tell people is just pay attention.
You know your dog better than anyone. When something shifts, like their energy, their appetite, the way they move, that’s your dog talking to you. Listen.
What do you think is one of the most overlooked aspects of preventative care for pets?
Gut health. Hands down. Most people don’t think about their dog’s digestion until something goes wrong, and by then, you’re already behind. So much of a dog’s immune system starts in the gut. That was a huge focus when we developed Badlands Ranch Superfood Complete — making sure we included real functional ingredients like pumpkin, flax, chia, and blueberries, the kind our veterinary advisor, Dr. Vaid, D.V.M., points to for their benefits. Things that actually do something, not fillers taking up space. The other thing people miss is teeth. Bad teeth aren’t just a mouth problem; they can affect the heart and the kidneys. Our air-dried food has this natural crunch that helps with that, which is a bonus I didn’t expect when we first made it. A little prevention goes so much further than treatment. The best time to invest in your dog’s wellness is before something goes wrong.
If you could encourage every pet owner to do one thing differently for their pet’s health, what would it be?
Read the label. That’s it. Just read it. If you can’t recognize what’s in the food, that’s your answer. Our dogs trust us completely. They’ll eat whatever we put in front of them. That’s not a reason to cut corners; it’s a reason to do better. Every dog deserves clean food. That belief is honestly the whole reason Badlands Ranch exists. The part that means the most to me is that every bag we sell helps fund the Jason Heigl Foundation, so feeding your dog well also helps a dog who hasn’t found a home yet. Start with the bowl. That’s where wellness begins.
