Katherine Heigl details daring step to launch animal dedicated welfare

Growing up, Katherine Heigl was surrounded by dogs and cats due to her love of animals. She comes from a long line of people who love animals.

"Somebody asked me recently, 'Were you the kid that always came home with the stray animal?' I said, 'No, my mom was,'" the Emmy-winning actress and activist, 44, tells People magazine exclusively. "She instilled that in us, this compassion and love for these creatures."

Later, Heigel's intimate bond with her own furry pets evolved into her full-fledged commitment to combating animal abuse and supporting animal wellbeing.

"We just didn't know what was going on. We were pet lovers, always had dogs and cats, but didn't know that so many of their kind were suffering," she admits. "That's when this real kind of push to make a difference began."

The Firefly Lane actress' most recent project is her recently opened Artware Shopify site, which sells a range of items she designed herself, including pet-themed sweatshirts, T-shirts, tote bags and mugs.

"I thought, 'You know what? If there's something I can do to incentivize people to financially participate, then I'm going to do that," says Heigl.

It's truly been a dual-passion endeavour for the celebrity, who chose to finally display her own artwork through the products offered in her online shop.