Katherine Heigl was sued by The Pitty Committee less than a month before the Grey’s Anatomy star filed a separate lawsuit against the California dog rescue.
DailyMail.com can exclusively reveal that the Los Angeles-based organization sued Heigl weeks before the actress, 46, accused The Pitty Committee and its owner, Alyssa Deetman, of defamation, intentional interference with prospective economic advantage and breach of contract.
According to court documents, Deetman, 35, is suing Heigl, her mother Nancy Heigl, the Jason Heigl Foundation — the animal rescue founded by Nancy and Katherine and named after the actress’s late brother — KHGH Group, Altern Marketing, Golden Hippo and Does 1 through 20 for fraud and intentional tort.
The court filings state that the parties worked together under a partnership running from January 1, 2023, through December 31, 2023.
In the complaint filed in California on February 20, Deetman claims she and Nancy Heigl, along with the other defendants, agreed both orally and in writing that they would “pay for or reimburse vet bills, training, medical/behavioral boarding and other expenses connected primarily with challenging ‘rescue only’ shelter dogs picked by Nancy Heigl and rescued by plaintiff and her affiliated dog rescue.”
Deetman alleges Nancy Heigl promised to reimburse her and The Pitty Committee, but says those commitments ultimately proved to be “false.”
Katherine Heigl, 46, was sued by a California dog rescue less than a month before the actress filed a separate defamation lawsuit on Wednesday
The Pitty Committee and its owner, Alyssa Deetman, sued Katherine Heigl, her mother Nancy and other defendants for fraud and intentional tort, according to documents obtained by DailyMail.com
The court documents allege that “Nancy Heigl had vets, trainers and boarding facilities charge plaintiff for dogs not rescued by plaintiff or her affiliated dog rescue, concealing the lack of connection.”
Deetman claims The Pitty Committee incurred approximately $349,691.23 in unreimbursed expenses while rescuing 120 dogs — roughly 10 dogs per month — based on the belief that the costs would be fully repaid. She alleges some of the funding was supposed to come from sales of Badlands Ranch pet food.
Katherine founded the premium dog nutrition company in 2022, naming it after her family’s ranch in Utah.
Deetman also points to Badlands Ranch’s website and social media accounts, which state that the company partners with and financially supports the Jason Heigl Foundation in its rescue work.
The relationship ended in December 2023 because of what Deetman describes in the complaint as Nancy Heigl’s “fraudulent behavior.”
Deetman further alleges that Katherine’s mother tried to conceal the alleged fraud, made inaccurate disparaging remarks about her and harmed the reputations, donations, income and earning potential of both Deetman and her affiliated rescue during 2024 and beyond.
The nonprofit executive says the dispute caused her severe emotional distress.
She also claims that social media activity targeting her and The Pitty Committee was disparaging and portrayed them as “dishonest and incompetent” after the defendants allegedly refused to honor their commitments.
Alyssa Deetman and The Pitty Committee allege that Nancy and Katherine Heigl, pictured in 2015, failed to honor an agreement covering vet bills, training and medical and behavioral boarding
The nonprofit’s executive alleges that the Heigls owe approximately $349,691.23 in rescue-related expenses
Deetman says the defendants’ conduct was “unexpected and felt to be undeserved betrayal,” leaving her with severe emotional distress.
She further alleges that the defendants have a “pattern and practice of using dog rescue organizations” that are less financially secure and less experienced by promising to cover rescue costs, including veterinary care, training, medical and behavioral boarding and other expenses.
Although she did not identify the other organizations allegedly involved, Deetman said she believes the defendants’ “malicious, fraudulent and oppressive conduct” will continue.
She is seeking compensatory and punitive damages, with the amount to be determined by the court.
In a statement to DailyMail.com on March 6, Deetman rejected the allegations made in the Heigls’ March 5 complaint and said she stands by the claims in her own lawsuit.
She said she fulfilled her obligations under the agreement but received nowhere near the reimbursement she was promised.
Deetman added that she attempted to resolve the matter privately before deciding to pursue litigation.
“I always held Katherine in high regard from watching her movies when I was a young girl. I was elated to work alongside her when they initially reached out to me,” Deetman said.
The Pitty Committee is a Los Angeles-based rescue dedicated to saving, rehabilitating and rehoming at-risk bully breeds
According to the complaint, the organization rescued 120 dogs during 2023 as part of its work with the Jason Heigl Foundation
“This is absolutely the last thing I wanted to do, and it’s a distraction that takes away from saving animals.”
DailyMail.com has contacted Katherine Heigl and the other defendants’ attorneys for comment.
The Heigls’ attorney said in response: “The complaint filed yesterday by JHF and the Heigls speaks for itself and addresses false accusations and defamatory statements, including the allegations in the baseless lawsuit filed against them.”
“JHF and the Heigls remain dedicated to animal advocacy and will continue to do incredible work for the rescue industry.”
Nancy and Katherine Heigl have not publicly responded to Deetman’s lawsuit. Instead, they filed their own complaint against Deetman and The Pitty Committee on March 5.
That lawsuit, obtained by DailyMail.com, alleges that Deetman spread false claims about the Jason Heigl Foundation and mishandled funds, damaging the foundation’s ability to operate in the animal-rescue sector.
The filing states that the Jason Heigl Foundation entered into an agreement with The Pitty Committee around January 2023. Under the arrangement, the foundation would provide a monthly donation in exchange for Deetman’s rescue taking in a minimum number of dogs selected by the Heigls.
Money from Katherine Heigl’s Badlands Ranch pet food business was allegedly intended to help cover The Pitty Committee’s expenses, but the rescue’s owner claims the promise was false and the funds never arrived
Badlands Ranch, founded by Katherine Heigl in 2022 and named after her family ranch in Utah, is listed as a defendant in Deetman’s lawsuit
The Pitty Committee told followers on March 6 that its dispute with the Heigls had become public, alleging that smaller rescues were “duped” out of hundreds of thousands of dollars and used to promote pet food products
The Jason Heigl Foundation claims Deetman later sought additional funding that was not included in the original agreement and failed to meet her responsibilities.
According to the complaint, JHF decided in January 2024 not to renew the agreement after it expired.
The foundation says it “repeatedly rebuffed Deetman’s proposal to extend and expand JHF and TPC’s relationship,” after which she allegedly began making “dangerous false statements.”
The Heigls’ complaint also accuses Deetman of mounting an online smear campaign against the defendants.
“Deetman made false, defamatory, and derogatory accusations that JHF and the Heigls have mistreated rescue dogs, failed to provide promised funding, and stole from TPC, all in an effort to ruin JHF and the Heigls’ reputation and/or coerce some sort of monetary payout,” the court documents state.
The complaint cites a post on The Pitty Committee’s TikTok account that allegedly read: “The Jason Heigl Foundation is a scam. Another celebrity phony who uses animal advocacy as a shield.
Katherine and Nancy Heigl filed their defamation lawsuit on March 5, shortly after Alyssa Deetman and her nonprofit sued them for fraud
The Heigls’ lawsuit alleges that Deetman made false claims that they mistreated rescue dogs, withheld promised funding and stole from The Pitty Committee in an effort to damage their reputation or force a financial settlement
“Twenty-four of their dogs were found in boarding in small kennels. These dogs get barely any enrichment or attention. It’s a horrific place to keep animals, and they should be ashamed — especially having ZERO PLAN during a fire.”
The post continued: “They have stolen $379,000 from my rescue, and they sell their products in stores claiming they change animals’ lives with the proceeds. Instead, they rescue dogs and stick them into tiny kennels where they are forgotten about.”
An invoice from The Pitty Committee provided to DailyMail.com lists the amount allegedly owed by the Heigls and the other defendants as $349,691.23, matching the figure cited in Deetman’s complaint.
The Heigls are seeking actual and consequential damages, with the amount to be decided at trial. They also want a permanent injunction barring Deetman from making allegedly defamatory statements about the plaintiffs online or elsewhere, an order requiring Deetman and her nonprofit to issue retractions and remove the statements, reimbursement for legal fees and costs, and punitive damages based on what they describe as malicious conduct.
