The love for one's pet can sometimes harm the owner. This case holds true for Johnny Depp's wife, Amber Heard, after the actress took their two Yorkshire terriers, Pistol and Boo, into Australia without undergoing the proper process and documentation.
Heard is currently facing two counts of illegal importation and one count of falsification of document. This was announced by the Commonwealth Department of Public Prosecutions on Thursday, according to The Guardian.
With the said charges, the 29-year-old actress could face 10 years of imprisonment in case the Australian authorities decide to deliver the maximum penalty, Mail Online reports. Moreover, aside from imprisonment, the charge for illegal importing comes with a fine of AU$ 102,000. On the other hand, the false document charges have a penalty of up to one year imprisonment and a fine of AU$ 10,200.
This issue had reached global attention after the nation's agriculture minister, Barnaby Joyce, ordered that the two Yorkshire terriers be removed in the country or he will get them killed. In another report from The Guardian, Joyce said, "Mr Depp has to either take his dogs back to California or we are going to have to euthanise them. He's now got about 50 hours left to remove the dogs."
Joyce's harsh treatment of the dogs stirred pet advocates to protect Pistol and Boo. An online petition was created calling the attention of the minister to save the dogs, which was signed by 600 people within an hour since it was launched. As of this writing, the said petition has gained over 22,232 supporters.
The immigration minister, Peter Dutton, admitted that there were lapses in the customs process concerning the dogs', entrance but he disclosed to The Guardian that pets should be screened like everyone else.
In a report from Mail Online, the Department of Agriculture explained their tight process in a statement, "All animals entering Australia must have an import permit, and have undergone relevant testing and health checks signed off by a government veterinarian from the exporting country to ensure pests and diseases from overseas are not brought here."
The "Pirates of the Carribean 5" star has not been charged but an investigation was launched to check if Depp and his pilot should also be sued for not declaring the dogs.
The dogs' presence in Australia remained a secret until they were photographed at a grooming salon, to which was a victory for Joyce. "I'm always pleased with the legal process - we are all equal before the law," Joyce said to Sky News, as picked by Mail Online.
The agricultural minister stressed that he does not care for their profession nor for their achievement. With his tough stand on the matter, he knows the consequences that he has to face and with sarcasm he said, "After that, I don't expect to be invited to the opening of Pirates of the Caribbean," The Guardian has learned.
Heard was issued a summons to appear before the Queensland court on September 7. Her lawyer could petition to appear in the court on her behalf. However, according to Bill Potts, a criminal defense lawyer based in Brisbane, with the seriousness of the charges, Heard will likely need to appear in person.
