Katherine Heigl, the Emmy-nominated actress and animal activist, has launched a Shopify store to raise money for animal welfare. Heigl, 44, told PEOPLE exclusively that her love for animals runs in her family.

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“Somebody asked me recently, 'Were you the kid that always came home with the stray animal?' I said, 'No, my mom was,'” Heigl said. “She instilled that in us, this compassion and love for these creatures.”

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Heigl's store, ArtWare, features a variety of pet-themed hoodies, T-shirts, tote bags and mugs. Heigl said she wanted to incentivize people to financially participate in animal welfare.

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“At first, I never made much of my artwork I'd accumulated over the last six years due to basic old insecurity,” Heigl said. “But I decided I needed to be brave, put it out there and see if it could help us make a difference.”

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Heigl's artwork includes four colorful collections inspired by cats and dogs, including the Pit line, Namaste Cat and Dog ranges, and the Ben Davis capsule. Heigl said the Ben Davis capsule was inspired by her “first real pet” that had been with her from when she was born up until she was 16.

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Heigl said she learned how to open a Shopify store from a TikTok video. She said she hopes to expand the store to include more home goods and involve her other hobbies and interests.

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Heigl is donating 100% of the store's first-year proceeds to the Jason Debus Heigl Foundation, the animal advocacy non-profit organization she created alongside her mom, Nancy, in 2008, in honor of their late brother and son, respectively.

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“She's a real inspiration to me in terms of heart, soul, purpose and what's important in life,” Heigl said of her mother.

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Heigl has also launched premium dog food brand Badlands Ranch in 2022 as a way to introduce simplified and holistic options to the market.
Sources: https://people.com/style/katherine-heigl-launches-shopify-store-animal-welfare-exclusive-interview/