War on terriers: Death-threatened Depp’s dogs to be flown home today

Johnny Depp’s dogs are preparing to flee Australia for the United States after government officials ordered them to be taken out of the country or face imminent death. Australia’s agriculture minister has accused the Hollywood actor of sneaking the pups, Pistol and Boo, into the country aboard a private jet, breaking quarantine laws. Barnaby Joyce said he was told the Yorkshire terriers were expected to return to America, also aboard a private jet. Speaking to the Australian Broadcasting Corp, he called the dogs’ imminent departure “the best news that I’ve got”.

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

Agriculture Minister Barnaby Joyce

Australia has strict quarantine regulations to prevent diseases such as rabies spreading to its shores. Bringing pets into the country involves applying for a permit and a quarantine period on arrival of at least 10 days. Joyce accused Depp of smuggling the dogs when the Hollywood star returned to Australia last month to resume filming of the latest Pirates Of The Caribbean instalment. "If you start letting movie stars - even though they’ve been the sexiest man alive twice - to come into our nation (with pets), then why don’t we just break laws for everybody?“ Joyce said this week.

Celebrity Depp's dogs