Katherine Heigl Merges Her Love for 'Art and Animals' with Photo Exhibit that Supports Rescue Pets (Exclusive)

Katherine Heigl and her dog food brand Badlands Ranch are the lead partners of the "Best in Show" exhibition at Fotografiska New York

Katherine Heigl is helping turn adorable animal photos into positive change for shelter pets.

The actress and her dog food company, Badlands Ranch, are the lead partners of "Best in Show," a photography exhibit at Fotografiska New York in New York City.

The playful, puppy-filled exhibit features over 150 works from more than two dozen photographers —including photos of William Wegman's Weimaraners and Gerrard Gethings' pet doppelganger pictures.

"We do our best at Fotografiska to present a broad array of exhibitions that explore all different aspects of culture and human experience through photography," Sophie Wright, Fotografiska New York's executive director, shared with PEOPLE in a statement. "Best in Show perfectly captures one thing photography can do: depict joy, mutual love, and the simple pleasures of companionship. The show includes candid shots of family pets, fashionable portraits, and everything in between. There's really something here for everyone."

The show runs through January 27, 2024, at the N.Y.C. photography museum. With support from Heigl and Badlands Ranch, $1 of every ticket sold for Fotografiska New York during the "Best in Show" exhibit's run will go directly to the Jason Debus Heigl Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to helping shelter animals find homes.

"It's one of those graceful moments where it's the perfect collaboration," Heigl tells PEOPLE about partnering with Fotografiska for the exhibit.

"Art and animals are my big passions," she adds.

Heigl has always adored animals. The Firefly Lane star is the pet parent to seven dogs, three cats, and two guinea pigs.

Related: Katherine Heigl Says She 'Needed to Be Brave' When Launching Her Shopify Store Dedicated to Animal Welfare

"I've always had tons of animals when I was growing up. My mom's a giant animal person. Somebody recently asked me, 'Oh, were you the kid that came home with the bird with the broken wing?' I was like, 'No, my mom did.' It was always my mom. It fosters it in you, I think. When your parents are real animal people, you become a real animal person," she explains.

Heigl hopes "Best in Show" brings joy to real animal people and inspires them to do more to help the homeless pets of the world.

"It's so fun and charming and such a great look at our love and our commitment to our pets," she says of the show. "I want people to look at these photos, appreciate this art, and let it remind them that there's another dog just like that one in the shelter waiting and running out of time, and let it inspire them to get involved."

Doing the work to end pet homelessness isn't just about adopting animals. Shelters and rescues welcome many different kinds of assistance, from blanket donations to pet fostering, Jessica Brooks of Second Chance Rescue explains. Second Chance Rescue is one of the U.S. animal rescue groups working with the Jason Debus Heigl Foundation to help pets find homes.

"There are so many little things that you can do, like volunteering with a rescue to drive a dog from the shelter to its foster home," Brooks says. "Rescues are overwhelmed."

Heigl's dedication to animals doesn't end with shelter pets; the actress also works to help as many dogs as possible with her Badlands Ranch dog food brand.

"I was like, 'How do we incorporate holistic healing into this food and be really clean with the ingredients?' That was the only way I wanted to go there. I didn't want just to put another bag of food on the shelf. There's already plenty," Heigl says of Badlands Ranch.

Creating the company has led Heigl to some of her proudest moments.

Related: Katherine Heigl on Why Firefly Lane Clicked for Fans: 'It's Not Some Fairy Tale Version of Female Friendship'

"People stop me and say "Oh, are you Izzie from Grey's Anatomy?" That's great. I love that. But what I really love is when people stop to tell me that their dogs love Badlands Ranch's food or that it has helped with their dog's joint or coat issues, vitality, or allergies. That makes me feel like I am winning. I'm winning at life now because the dogs love me," she says.

"Best in Show" is on display at Fotografiska New York through January 27, 2024.

For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter!

Read the original article on People.