Johnny Depp’s pet dogs Pistol and Boo have been ordered by Australia to “bugger off” back to Hollywood or face being put down after he flew the terriers into the country illegally -- as thousands signed a petition to save them.
The actor, who is in Australia to film “Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales”, was given the grim warning by Agriculture Minister Barnaby Joyce on Thursday.
“Just because he’s Johnny Depp does not mean he’s exempt from Australian law,” Joyce told reporters, as the hashtag #WarOnTerrier quickly became the top-trending topic on Twitter Down Under.
Australia has strict rules to keep disease at bay, requiring cats and dogs from the US to spend at least 10 days in quarantine.
But Depp appears to have ignored the rules, arriving in Brisbane last month with the Yorkshire terriers in tow without declaring them to customs. The Hollywood star flew them in on his private jet.
“There is a process if you want to bring animals. You get the permits, they go into quarantine and then you can have them,” said Joyce, with customs authorities expected to seize the dogs imminently.
He said he became aware that Depp had the dogs with him after they were spotted being taken to a groomer.
“It’s time that Pistol and Boo buggered off back to the United States,” added the minister. “He can send them back or we will have to euthanise them.”
Asked if his tough stance may affect Depp’s view of him, Joyce replied: “I don’t think Mr Depp will be inviting me to the grand opening of the Pirates of the Caribbean.”
Immigration Minister Peter Dutton weighed into the issue, saying Depp could face large fines for breaching quarantine procedure.
He told Fairfax radio it was a serious matter “because if you have breaches of biosecurity, it can have big impacts”.