Katherine Heigl Pushes For More Compassionate Laws Protecting Animals In Her Home State Of Utah

Katherine Heigl is currently using her celebrity notoriety and social media reach for good, as she passionately speaks out for those that are voiceless. The actress, producer, and longtime animal advocate wants to see the end of gas chambers in her home state of Utah as an option for euthanizing animals today.

Back on January 26, the Utah Senate unanimously passed Senate Bill 69, which would establish requirements for animal shelters that euthanize animals and would require the use of euthanasia solution (sodium pentobarbital) be the exclusive method for euthanasia of an animal, effectively banning the use of gas chambers. However, since that small victory on the Utah Senate floor, Heigl reveals that the proposed bill ran into a momentary setback on its way to the Utah House of Representatives.

“We thought we had it and unfortunately in that hearing, a couple of local sheriffs got up and really spoke against it and don’t want to be told how they can kill their animals,” Heigl tells me at Forbes.

Heigl goes on to mention that keeping gas chambers active is in fact more expensive than the bill’s proposed methods and can even do harm to shelter staff continuing to use those more extreme practices. When I asked Heigl why she thinks anyone in Utah would speak against Senate Bill 69, she says, “The only thing I can think of is this sort of old-school way of doing things and not wanting to think outside-the-box or be told what they’ve been doing is wrong and needs to be amended and changed. Utah is a remarkable, remarkable place and I am incredibly grateful to call it my home. There is so much beauty there, there are so many good people there. I have a real heart for Utah, but I can’t abide this. This is antiquated and it’s disgusting and it’s wholly unnecessary.”

Despite the brief pause that Senate Bill 69 experienced on its way to the Utah House, Heigl says another hearing and vote will be happening any day now. She encourages her Utah neighbors and fellow citizens to get ahold of their local representatives, sign petitions, and do whatever they can to express their concerns.

Heigl is no stranger to speaking up and striving to make a difference for animals. In 2008, she and her fellow animal advocate mother Nancy started the Jason Heigl Foundation, in honor of Heigl’s late brother. 14 years later, she tells me that the foundation continues to provide a great amount of financial support for defenseless animals – from spayed/neutered events, funding the transport of animals out of high-kill shelters to low-kill areas to get adopted, training programs, medical care, and more.

Being now a mother of three herself with husband Josh Kelley, Heigl knows the example and guidance she wants to leave on her own children before they one day head out into the world.

“I want to teach my children not only to have compassion, but as a mother, I think children sort of are born inherently compassionate. So, it’s not something you necessarily have to teach – it’s something that you have to encourage and support. We have many animals (laughs). We have six dogs and three cats and we have a ranch with many, many animals and teaching the kids to see them, to value them.”

As I wrapped up my phone conversation with Heigl where I could clearly hear both the genuine passion and concern in her voice, I offered her the chance to share a message directly with her fellow Utah citizens, Utah politicians, the American people, and the world at large.

“The mark of a civilized society is how we treat the voiceless and the innocent among us. These animals are voiceless, they are also innocent. We are not talking about vicious, wild animals. We are not talking about sick and dying animals. We are talking about puppies, we are talking about pregnant mothers, we are talking about feral cats, we are talking about kittens. You cannot, when there are so many other humane and cost-effective options to humanely euthanize, you cannot continue to do so like this. There is no excuse for it. There is no justification for it and all it does is mark us as Utah citizens as uncivilized and inhumane and don’t let them turn us into that. Stand up, use your voice, make a difference. It will cost you nothing but a moment of time.”