Depp's doggy drama ends as pooches take flight

Johnny Depp's troublesome terriers have left the country and escaped doggy death row.

 (AAP Image/Instragram)

An Instagram screengrab obtained Friday, May 15, 2015 of Amber Heard's yorkshire terrier 'Pistol'. US actors Johnny Depp and Amber Heard are facing a large fine over the breach of Australia's strict quarantine laws for bringing their dogs 'Pistol' and 'Boo' into Australia. (AAP Image/Instragram) Source: Instagram

Johnny Depp's troublesome terriers have left the country and escaped doggy death row.

The pampered pooches boarded a flight back to the US on Friday night after being hounded out of Australia.
The illegally imported Yorkshire terriers, Pistol and Boo, have been quarantined in the luxury surrounds of retired motorbike champion Mick Doohan's Gold Coast mansion but have been escorted by Customs officials to their flight at Coolangatta airport.

The dogs had to leave the country by Saturday to avoid being euthanised.

The small, fluffy canines look harmless but have made some politicians, particularly Agriculture Minister Barnaby Joyce, barking mad after it emerged they had arrived in Brisbane on Depp's private jet without being declared to Customs.

Mr Joyce said Pistol and Boo had to "bugger off" or die as Depp and his wife Amber Heard would not be afforded any special treatment because of their celebrity status.

The minister has come under fire for his handling of the case, with "war on terrier" trending on Twitter, radio shock jock Kyle Sandilands calling him an "absolute joke" and Federal MP Clive Palmer labelling his actions as "embarrassing".

But federal Industry Minister Ian Macfarlane said the illegal canine cargo is no laughing matter.

"I don't think we declared war on two terriers," Mr Macfarlane said in Gladstone on Friday.

"We've given the owner of the dogs the option of taking them out of the country and bringing them back in if he so wishes through a proper process ... you cannot have exceptions if you want to keep diseases and pests out of this country."

The doggy drama has made headlines around the world and TV crews spent Friday camped outside the Gold Coast mansion where Depp has been staying.

But it looks like Pistol and Boo will have a pretty quiet flight home, with reports that Depp will remain on the Gold Coast where he is filming Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales.

It is unclear exactly how the dogs managed to avoid quarantine processes as the Department of Agriculture will not answer questions on individual cases.

Depp and his actor-model wife were reportedly interviewed by quarantine officers on Friday afternoon.

The dogs are not expected to face any problems at Customs when they finally land in California.


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Source: AAP


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