Johnny Depp’s Wife, Amber Heard, Charged With Smuggling Dogs Into Australia
Published on July 16, 2015
Prosecutors in Australia have charged American actress Amber Heard, who’s married to Johnny Depp, with illegally bringing the couple’s two Yorkshire Terriers into the country.
Heard, 29, was charged Tuesday with two counts of illegally importing Pistol and Boo into Australia on a private jet, as well as one count of producing a false document, reports the Associated Press.
The incident made international headlines in May, when Australian authorities said Depp, 52, and Heard had to take their Yorkies back to the U.S. or the pups could face euthanasia. The couple was in Australia while Depp filmed the latest movie in the Pirates of the Caribbean series.
Australia has strict animal-import laws to prevent diseases and pests, and requires permits, as well as a 10-day quarantine at a government facility, according to its Department of Agriculture. The actors complied with demands to remove the dogs from the country within a 72-hour window.
The AP reports that Heard has been summonsed to appear in a Queensland court on September 7, but there’s a possibility she could be represented by her attorney, if the court agrees to that.
The importation charges could lead to a maximum of 10 years in prison and a $75,000 fine, and the false documents charge has a penalty of up to a year in prison and a $7,500 fine, People reports. Bill Potts, a Brisbane-based attorney, tells the AP that he believes Heard is unlikely to face a lengthy jail term even if she’s convicted, because the dogs were flown back to the U.S. within the 72-hour window.
It’s unclear why Depp doesn’t also face charges in the matter.
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