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Associated Press
NEW YORK (AP) - Bedtime at Katherine Heigl's house can take a while. As a mom of two daughters and seven other kids of the four-legged variety, she likes to give each one special attention.
The Emmy Award winner says first she tucks in her girls, 4-year-old Naleigh and baby Adalaide, who turns 1 in April. Then she takes her seven dogs through their own nighttime ritual.
"I literally put each one to bed and every one of them gets hugged and kissed before they go to bed," she laughed in a recent interview. "It sounds absurd because there are some nights where you're like, `I'm exhausted!' but there's never a night where I don't want that time with them."
The actress has channeled her love of animals to ending animal abuse. She's launching a line of pet products called Just One where portions of the proceeds go to help programs that foster, train, neuter and rescue animals.
Merchandise ranging from pet collars to apparel and accessories for people is available on the product's website.
"It's been an interesting and long process developing this and it feels so rewarding and exciting that it's coming to fruition," said the 33-year-old actress in a recent interview.
Recently she even helped fund two transport flights to send animals from Los Angeles kill shelters to North Shore Animal League on Long Island, New York, which is known as the world's largest no-kill shelter.
Heigl says she understands not everyone can afford to help the way she can but says, "If every person does one small thing to help one pet that could be the solution to the whole problem."
Heigl says she bought her first three dogs _ miniature schnauzers _ because "I just didn't know any better." Since then, she's been turning to rescues. "One dog I rescued from Rhode Island while filming `27 Dresses.' I love older dogs. I think people don't realize how much easier they are than puppies. I think they just sense or know that they have you to thank."
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Online:
http://jasonheiglfoundation.org/
(Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)
