In May, actor Johnny Depp and his wife Amber Heard were threatened for breaking Australia’s strict animal quarantine laws by illegally transporting their dogs into the country. Now, Heard is scheduled to go before a judge over the matter.
The couple reentered Queensland in April by private jet to resume filming on the latest Pirates of the Caribbean film, after Depp recovered from an injury to his hand. The couple’s family pets, two Yorkshire terriers named Boo and Pistol, joined them and were later photographed at a dog-grooming salon on the Gold Coast.
Customs officials became aware of the presence of the dogs through social media, and gave Depp and Heard two days to fly them back to Los Angeles, and threatened t0 put them down.
Australia’s Agriculture minister Barnaby Joyce said in May, “if he[Depp] doesn’t take Boo and Pistol back, we do have to euthanize them… Just because he’s Johnny Depp doesn’t make him exempt from Australian laws.”
The couple reportedly spent as much as $320,000 to fly Boo and Pistol home, with Heard as the chaperone, but that wasn’t good enough for the Australian government.
TMZ reports Heard has now been charged with illegal importing of animals, which carries a maximum penalty of 10 years behind bars and a fine of $102,000.
The actress has also been charged with “producing a false or misleading document,” per TMZ, which carries a maximum sentence of one year in prison and a $10,200 fine.
Amber Heard is scheduled to appear in court September 7.
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