Depp’s dogs sent home from Australia

Johnny Depp has hit the spotlight again but this time because of his two pooches, Boo and Pistol. Arriving back into Australia last month with his wife and two Yorkshire terriers, Depp failed to declare his dogs to quarantine and therefore their fate is now uncertain.

The Pirates of the Carribean star resumed filming in Australia in April but this time brought with him his two pooches. Arriving on his private jet, quarantine officials carried out normal procedure on Depp’s plane however as he had not declared the dogs on the in-flight manifest, Depp now faces the reality of having his pooches put down.

Agriculture minister, Barnaby Joyce, has said the pooches need to return home within 50 hours or they will be seized by Australian Authorities.

“It doesn’t matter if Johnny Depp has been awarded sexiest man alive twice…he has to either take his dogs back to California or we will we have to euthanize them,” Mr Joyce said.

He adds that his worry is now that the US will not allow the dogs back in to the country. “The question is if he breached our laws, then did he follow the correct laws in the US?” If this is the case, they would be ‘stateless’ and therefore Depp would be forced to have them put down.

Australia has very strict rules around biosecurity and the US embassy in Canberra has said this should serve as a wake up call for all US citizens. “The US Department of State advises American citizens travelling to Australia that Australian customs authorities enforce very strict regulations concerning the importation from all countries of items such as agricultural and wood products, as well as very strict quarantine standards for other products, animals, and pets,” the spokeswoman said.

Although his dogs are surrounded by controversy, Depp will get the chance to spend some time with two capuchin monkeys on the set of Pirates of the Caribbean 5.

A permit was recently issued for the exotic monkeys to enter Queensland, after the mandatory quarantine was finalised.