War on terriers: Death-threatened Depp’s dogs flown out of Australia

Johnny Depp’s dogs have boarded a flight out of Australia for the US after government officials ordered them to be taken out of the country or face imminent death. "Dogs gone", tweeted Australia’s agriculture minister Barnaby Joyce, who had led the effort to get the pups, Pistol and Boo, out of Australia. The pups embarked on a private jet, but it was not clear if Depp and his wife Amber Heard were also aboard the plane. Joyce accused the Hollywood actor of sneaking the pups into the country aboard a private jet, breaking quarantine laws.

Just because he’s Johnny Depp does not mean he’s exempt from Australian law.

Agriculture Minister Barnaby Joyce

On Wednesday, the Agriculture Department told Depp and his wife that they had to send the dogs back within 72 hours or the animals would be euthanised. In Australia, Mr Joyce’s tough stance attracted both praise and criticism, with some commending the minister for defending the nation’s laws, and others cringing over what they viewed as his crass response. A radio interview escalated into a heated exchange of insults between host Kyle Sandilands, who called the minister a “clown”, an “idiot” and a “joke” in an expletive-ridden tirade, and Joyce, who retorted by calling him “a savage little man” before hanging up.

Celebrity Depp's dogs