Back in May of this year, Johnny Depp was filming Pirates of Caribbean 5: No One Asked For This down in Australia. His new bride Amber Heard joined him at their rented estate in Queensland, and she brought their dogs, Pistol and Boo. She brought Pistol and Boo via private plane, and she did not get all of the proper paperwork on them, nor did she follow any of the protocols involved with bringing foreign animals into Australia. Of course it became a controversy, but Aussie Agriculture Minister Barnaby Joyce seemed to overplay his hand by threatening to kill poor Boo and Pistol. John Oliver incidentally did a hilarious take on this story – go here to watch.
Anyway, Amber Heard called Barnaby Joyce a famewhore, but she ended up taking the dogs out of the country. Both Depp and Heard seemed to suggest that they would not be spending any time in Australia in the future. Depp still had to complete filming on Pirates 5 though, and when Amber visited him again, she was slapped with formal charges for “illegally importing” the dogs. Here’s this week’s update on the situation:
Amber Heard plans to plead not guilty to charges of allegedly sneaking her and husband Johnny Depp’s dogs into Australia illegally in May. In a statement released by her lawyer, Heard announced that she will fight charges of illegal importation and falsifying documents, although she respects “the importance of Australian laws,” NBC News reports.
“My decision to defend these charges, as will become apparent in the appropriate forum of the Court, is not intended in any way to diminish the importance of Australia’s laws,” she said in the statement.
Heard, 29, was accused of sneaking her and Depp’s two Yorkshire terriers – named Pistol and Boo – into Australia on a private jet earlier this year, breaking the country’s biosecurity laws. Once it was discovered that the couple allegedly broke the law, politician Barnaby Joyce threatened to euthanize the dogs unless Depp, 52, and Heard returned the terriers to the U.S. within 72 hours. The actress said she is willing to testify in court proceedings, and lawyers indicated that Depp is allowed to appear as long as his presence is not “disruptive to the court,” The Telegraph reports.
If found guilty, Heard could face up to 10 years in prison and a $75,000 fine for the two counts of illegal importation as well as up to one year in prison and a $7,500 fine for the alleged false documentation, an official previously told PEOPLE.
For the love of God. While Scarfy and Amber aren’t my favorite people in the world and God knows, they should probably face some kind of punishment for these doggy shenanigans, I think Australia is taking it a bit too far, right? 10 years in prison for wanting to travel to Australia with your dogs? A $75K fine? I guess this is noteworthy because Amber has changed her tune – she’s no longer getting snotty about how Barnaby Joyce is a famewhore, she’s now saying that of course she respects Australia’s laws (just not enough to actually follow them).
Photos courtesy of Fame/Flynet and WENN.
Well, Pot, meet Kettle. $75K is nothing for them. You broke the law; pay the fine.
Exactly. It is a huge deal to not follow the laws regulating flora and fauna being brought into a country or onto an island. Introduction of disease or invasive species can mess up whole ecosystems. Amber Heard is a moron for not getting this concept.
Absolutely – shut up, pay up and nextvtime don’t be so damned arrogant as to assume the rules don’ apply to movie stars!
It’s more than fair…the situation obviously got to this point because this is the first reality check she’s had in a while. Just because she is a an overly priveledged little B-lister does not excempt her from laws of whatever country she is in! Or the laws of biology…what she did could have caused serious, permanent damage. .
She endangered Australia’s ecosystem on a whim, and then very publically demonstrated zero remorse for her reckless and entitled behavior. If she had brains, she should have realized that she was going to be an example, but she had to act like the soiled little idiot that she is and run her mouth about the people who controlled her fate. I have nothing but schadenfreude.
I pray that she loses. I was astounded when I found out what they did. It’s like she thinks she is above the law now she is with an A-lister. I didn’t like her before, and now I think of her as a spoiled piece of excrement.
This behaviour is not helping her public image.
I don’t think oz is overdoing it. They are getting the same treatment as everyone else. The threat to put down the dogs would have happened to anyone who brought in illegal animals as I understand it.
obviously she won’t actually go to prison for 10 years. She will probably pay some hefty fine which her hubby can afford so whatever.
This exactly. I’d add that if she had been contrite at anytime during this debacle it probably wouldn’t have gone this far.
Agreed – if she’d apologized and offered to cover any expenses or donate to a animal or nature charity, they’d probably have let it go.
Australia also one of the most fragile ecosystems in the world. Those laws are there for a reason.
If these fines and jail times are what Australian law states as due punishment for the crime of bringing in illegal animals, you may disagree with it but… It is their law. I see signs posted on all US highways stating that littering carries a minimum of $5,000 fine and time (usually commuted to community service.) I may think it is exaggerated for a country which allows fracking and coal burning etc. but… It is the law so I obey it. How hard is that?
And now she has the nerve to plead not guilty? Hilarious. I hope the Australians actually levy the heaviest fine and whatever else is within the limit of the law – makes a good example for the rest of the world to not mess with their delicate ecology. And no, being a movie star’s wife arriving via private plane is not carte blanche to do as you please.
I talked to a friend who lives in Australia and they are furious about this. They take their laws seriously because their wildlife is unique in the entire world, and introducing a foreign pathogen (or insect, or dog if it runs away) could destroy the natural balance they have with their koalas, platypus, kangaroos, Bilbies and so on. If you go there, you have to respect their laws. Simple.
amen!
just because you’re american and ‘famous’ doesn’t mean you’re above the laws.
and it wasn’t a law about a car or something, this is a living thing, something that could be detrimental to the environment over there.
What would be said or thought if something bad did happen and it stemmed from being lenient with laws like this when it comes to celebrities? I think it would be embarrassing for Australia if they didn’t react how they have, if they didn’t try to uphold and defend their own laws, no matter how ‘famous’ the person breaking those laws is.
Exactly this. Plus, there are a lot of animal-borne viruses etc that we don’t have in Australia. Namely rabies. We’re just as strict with plant material – the enture shipment of one of Katie Perry’s album was destroyed because there were seeds in the liner so that people could plant them and grow flowers (again, no Phylloxera or other nasty plant viruses in Australia). Quarantine is there for a very good reason.
THIS. Australia is a gorgeous country with a unique ecosystem, and the laws are in place to protect it. She clearly knew it was wrong to smuggle the dogs on a private jet but did it anyway, probably expecting to get a quiet slap on the wrist at most. Barnaby may be a fame whore, but he is absolutely right to make an example of this case and throw the book at Amber.
Exactly–this is the bottom line. Debate about whether this law is valid or not aside, it’s still the law and Amber thinks she’s above it.
What is there to defend? Any idiot knows you can’t just bring dogs into a foreign country without proper documentation and sometimes quarantine. These laws are in place to PROTECT animals already living there. Pay the fine and stop whining.
+1
It would be so funny if she got to go to jail! Please, Australia, just for a month!
Thirsty Amber Heard will totally be MILKING this whole situation for PR, mark my words. Her small dogs are cute and photogenic, and a ‘big brute’ of an Australian politician has threatened to kill them. It’s an easy to understand, sensational story and it could be the only stunt she has pulled for the past few years that has great potential for getting her the publicity she craves. Appearing in an Australian court with Depp by her side will guarantee maximum effect.
That’s what I don’t understand? She says she respects the Australian laws, and yet she’s pleading not guilty to the charges. Doesn’t that kind of make “I respect Australian laws”… A lie? If she respected the laws, she wouldn’t fight the charges, because the charges stem directly from the laws. She did exactly what they said she did, and she knows it. So she’s just being difficult. This is really stupid. BAH. Anyways.
“Pirates of the Caribbean 5: No One Asked for This” is amazing 😂
Serves her right. All she had to do in the first place was respect Australia’s well-known biosecurity laws instead of acting like they didn’t apply to her entitled self.
She won’t get a prison sentence but I do hope she gets a very large fine.
I really just feel for the animals who seem to be treated more like accessories than pets.
Yeah I find it so odd to see them toted around like that.
My friend’s healthy dog just spent three months in quarantine when they moved from Alabama to Hawaii. Not feeling any sympathy for Amber. Pay the fine and stop trying to milk it for publicity.
Famewhore, please! Pay what you owe, say you are sorry, and think next time. What are they trying to do-stunt queen To Kill A Mockingbird?! Ugh, fools.
She clearly never watched Australia Border Security on TV.
Australia doesn’t mess about with possible threats to it’s eco system, nor should it.
Exactly what I was thinking! Love those Border Security marathons…
There’s a whole show about it? Wow!
I agree they take it seriously and should, I remember Hawaii being the same when I traveled there. It’s important to protect those ecosystems, and anyone going to those places needs to be aware and respect the law.
Oh there are, and they are epic!
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0439351/
It deals with postal import along with immigration but a lot of it is based in airports where people declare they have nothing then end up having suitcases filled with herbs, dried meat, one guy had self starting fireworks in his carry on…on a fecking plane!
Agree. Of course they should be punished by a huge fine but prison sentence is beyond ridiculous cause in the end they didn’t destroy the Australian ecosystem. And the minister overreacted by going to all the channels and press to talk about it.It’s funny cause he said there will be no special treatment when there actually was.Despite breaking the law the Depps deserved privacy like any other person.
He didn’t announce their medical records or something. They got the same treatment that normal people get when they break the law in a very public way.
Normal people get attacked on TV?
If you’re going that route, normal people don’t arrive via private jet. But normal people are in fact named as suspects when they’ve committed a crime (which it’s clear they did) and are in fact subject to people stating their opinion about said person that’s committed a crime, and normal people absolutely do get attacked on TV when they’ve committed a crime (or are you unfamiliar with Nancy Grace?). My point was, there is no right to privacy when you break the law. You have the right not to comment on something, but that’s as far as privacy goes with this. Again, it’s not like HIPAA was broken (because people do have a right to privacy when it comes to your medical records) and they’re not minors.
And boo hoo. Someone yelling at you because YOU BROKE THE LAW IN THE FIRST PLACE isn’t an attack.
Kitty, Depp was NOT attacked on tv.
Quarantine laws are there for a reason, and she’s not above the law. Pay the fine and quit complaining.
Overdoing it? No. There are biosecurity laws for a reason. They want to protect their ecosystem. I don’t blame Australia at all. Amber & Johnny thought their privilege and wealth would allow them to flaunt the system and get away with bringing those dogs in. Just write the damn check. Post a mea culpa and move on.
“We were under the impression that we had all the paperwork done with the dogs. We were there with the dogs in front of everybody.” -Johnny Depp
So no, they did not think their privilege and wealth would allow them to flaunt the system and get away with bringing those dogs in, because they did not mean to bring them in illegally.
She is also being charged for falsifying a document. According to many reports that being her passenger card where she failed to declare she had any animals.
You can’t say “I did everything right” and then forget to check the box that says I brought my dogs.
Are we really supposed to believe that two very seasoned world travelers thought there would be absolutely nothing to declare, no quarantine period, nothing? Johnny Depp split him time between Europe and LA for years. He knows how this works – you don’t just waltz on and off with a couple of dogs, the animals have to go through customs (which they very clearly didn’t).
@Bridget How does him saying they thought they had all the PAPERWORK done translate into him saying they thought there would be absolutely nothing to declare?
Have a friend who recently moved to Australia. She had to quarantine their dog for 10 days. She complied. It’s 10 days and if you’re not going to be there for more than 10 days then don’t bring the dogs. Also, them making a big deal out of this one does two things: 1. tells everyone they are serious about this and 2. doesn’t matter who you are, you still need to follow the rules. I don’t think they will get jail time, but should definitely be fined.
Why even fight? You broke the law. Maybe you don’t like the law, but whatever. I highly doubt that the Australian government is itching to imprison Johnny Depp’s wife. Pay the fines, apologize and move on. I have no clue what there actually is to dispute here.
I’m from Australia and the punishment for incorrect quarantine procedure and illegally bringing animals to Aust. Is just, purely because there are certain diseases which could be brought to Aust. and spread disease to other animals and this would effect livestock and farming industry. While I agree that Barnaby was a bit of an idiot with the way he handled things I hope that Amber and Johnny dont get off without any implications because of their celebrity status. Also as for them avoiding Australia, I guess it’s up to them but theyre acting pretty childish
What is going to be her defense?? If she were smart (which she obviously is not) she would apologize and pay whatever fine they wanted to impose. That would go a LONG way toward reestablishing any goodwill she may have had prior.
That’s what I want to know. She clearly did bring the dogs and did not follow the necessary procedures. She could argue she didn’t know the rules or was poorly advised, but ignorance of the law isn’t a defence.
““My decision to defend these charges, as will become apparent in the appropriate forum of the Court, is not intended in any way to diminish the importance of Australia’s laws,” she said in the statement. ”
Yes, you did disrespect their laws because you were informed but chose not to complete the necessary forms and any other administration involved in having your dogs there legally. And you definitely think you are above the law because you knew exactly what you were doing and you aren’t holding yourself accountable even now. Take your lumps and be done with it. Fighting it only continues the disrespect.
Some of the dinks that “represent” America over seas are just embarrassing. But she’s literate, so I guess that means something?
As an Australian, I can tell you the 10 years is the MAXIMUM and rarely anyone ever serves anywhere near a year. Similar with the fine. I think the problem is that Depp and Heard were so nasty and obnoxious, that the law may feel like imposing the maximum penalties (I know most of us here wish they would). Barnaby Joyce is outspoken like most of us blunt Aussies, but he said what the consequences to the ‘maximum’ *could* be. He never said he’d have the dogs euthanaised. Like Lindy79 said, our ecosystem is very fragile. We have eliminated many animal, fauna and flora diseases such as Rabies. Rabies has been non-existent in Australia for a few decades at least. This is an isolated Island continent. The rules are vital and have seen us eradicate so many illnesses, bacteria and diseases. I honestly think the governmental officials ‘talk tough’ BECAUSE of the ignorant, arrogant, nasty snobby disdain Heard and Depp displayed to us. If they dropped the attitude, and were contrite, I can guarantee you, the language and outcome would have been so much different.
How exactly were Depp and Heard so nasty and obnoxious? Joyce is the one who was so nasty and obnoxious, he could’ve dealt with the matter privately instead of making a media circus out of it.
Depp and Heard have mocked our Minister, been petulant and nasty and obnoxious. The international media picked up the speech only because Depp and Heard made a big deal out of being held accountable. Depp and Heard are responsible for it being turned into a media circus. If they had have accepted they broke the law and weren’t after special privileges and weren’t so nasty and obnoxious and it, and so ‘I am American and therefore rules in other countries don’t apply to me’ and didn’t continue to make attacks on our Minister in American press, it wouldn’t have become so over-blown and such a media circus.
@Tarsha Depp and Heard “mocked” your Minister months after he made several public speeches on national television. The international media picked up what he said at the exact time it happened. Depp only joked about it briefly when he was ASKED about it at a press conference. That is not making a big deal out of anything. Barnaby Joyce is the one who meant to turn it into a media circus in the first place, and you can’t just act like he did not. He made a mockery out of himself globally, Depp and Heard had nothing to do with the way he presented himself to the world. They were not “so nasty and obnoxious,” Joyce was, and he was even called out by his fellow ministers and John Oliver for the way he treated the matter. It became so over-blown and such a media circus because of him, and he loved all the attention.
Jerard, Barnaby Joyce was using them as an example to tell people that they could not do this. The fact that the photographs of these dogs were made public and there was a clear flouting of the law by these two privileged people got up a lot of people’s noses. The fact that they just did not care about our laws, our country or our flora and fauna annoyed everyone. Barnaby Joyce simply made public what the consequences could be to the worlds media, warning anyone that was so laissez faire in the future.
@Selena Castle Except that they did not meant to flout the law and act all privileged and careless about the rules.
Depp said: “We were under the impression that we had all the paperwork done with the dogs. We were there with the dogs in front of everybody.”
They broke the law, and when called accountable for it, instead of apologizing and paying the fine they instead tried to blame the agricultural minister for trying to get his 15 minutes of fame.
I said this above, but I’ll say it again: Johnny Depp and Amber Heard are very seasoned travelers. Depp split his time between Europe and LA for many, many years. Am I really supposed to believe that didn’t think they were going to have to quarantine the dogs, have the dogs go through customs, or even declare the dogs on their entry paperwork?
They unquestionably broke a law that Australia takes very seriously, and to this day haven’t had the graciousness to simply apologize and accept responsibility. At every turn they’ve instead made petulant, petty comments. This wouldn’t have turned into an incident at all if they could have just summoned a tiny bit of humility, but instead chose to be jerks.
@Bridget “At every turn” makes it sound like they actually had the time to talk about it a lot of times, which they didn’t. Barnaby Joyce is the one who talked about it numerous times and that’s how it turned into an incident way before they said anything. Don’t make it sound like they were releasing statements from the beginning. They would’ve not even said anything had they not been endlessly asked by reports while promoting their movies.
Taking the opportunity to unprofessionally throw cheap shots (that had nothing to do with the law) at Depp makes Joyce the actual jerk.
More lies, Jerard. Joyce spoke about it ONCE. And was supported by all his colleagues and virtually all of Australia. Depp and Heard brought it up in the media, constantly, for attention. It was their go-to cheap trick for attention and they disgraced themselves all around the globe. Without the disgraceful, disrespectful and obnoxious comments of Depp and Heard, the matter would never have seen the light of day. That is a fact.
As for the paperwork, more disproven lies from Depp. The spot where he had to tick for the dogs, was blank. He did NOT fill out the card, and the dogs were hidden in a bag in their private jet. They knew they did wrong, because instead of presenting the dogs, they kept them hidden from view and smuggled them in. This has already been proven.
@Tarsha The lies seem to be only coming from you.. Joyce spoke about it more than three times on TV, not counting his tweets. And he was not supported by anyone, his colleagues thought he made a fool out of himself and many celebrities made fun of him and Australia.
Depp and Heard did not bring up anything constantly, they had better things to talk about when they were promoting their successful movies. They were constantly asked about it, Amber only answered a question about it ONCE.
The matter saw the light of day when Barnaby Joyce made a televised press conference about it back in May, Depp and Heard were constantly asked about it LATER ON. They did not bring attention to a matter that nobody knew about, it was all over the news before they said anything. That is a fact that you need to stop dismissing on purpose to prove your point.
Australia is has zero F’s to give about celebrity status. They just denied Chris Brown entry to Australia because of his domestic violence conviction. To which I say, good for them! The same fine and penalty would have applied to any normal person, and its meant to discourage people from breaking a very important biosecurity law. Ignorance is not a defense in violating the law.
Let’s just say it the right way : It is not 10 years in prison for wanting to travel to Australia with your dogs. It’s 10 years in prison for endangering a rare ecosystem, esp. in a time of extreme and dangerous biodiversity loss.
I for one hope for the maximum fine and a long suspended sentence. She’s rich and entitled, every thing she says proves she has not learned anything yet, so she’s liable to do it again.
good for Australia than they don’t have any more serious problems to spend their taxes than in a process against two celebrities for their two pampered doggies
the minister and all of them were famewhoring with this case. Any other person entering with illegal dogs, would have to pay the fine and the dogs put on quarantine, but because they are two famous, then the Minister had to call to a press conference, to threatened the dogs with euthanasia and charge her (not him, because it would have been hugely unpopular considering how much money the Pirates franchise brought thanks to Johnny to Australia) with 10 years of jail
ridiculous! like everything from that conservative government, laughable
No. Just no.
“Just two pampered doggies” could literally decimate local ecosystems.
These are the laws that apply to everyone. A press conference was called because a pampered famous wife purposefully SMUGGLED her illegal pets into the country. She evaded customs ON PURPOSE. She deserved to be publicly shamed to show everyone that we do not bow to ‘fame’
You are ignorant of the seriousness of the situation. You really don’t understand how serious it is. You just don’t understand. Try doing some research into our ecological systems. Whether they are pampered or not, they could have carried something in their paws. Also, there was no press conference, Barnaby was asked about it while he was at some event. And Amber was charged because she is the one who filled in the card and smuggled them in, not Depp.
failure to follow protocol equals either immediate deportation or euthanasia FOR ANY ANIMAL. They weren’t being told anything they shouldn’t have already known, it’s clearly laid out in the paperwork also, on the website.
Really? And they let Pastorius out of prison with an ankle monitor in less than a year after killing someone? Ridiculous
I’m an idiot. Just realized that was South Africa sorry. That’s why I never post
He has been retried and found guilty of murder.
And yes, South Africa and Australia are very different countries.
Lot of Australian animals went extinct due to invasive species and disease. 10 yrs and a fine of $75k seems right to me.
I hope justice is swift and severe for this barbarous act of terrierism.
Australia’s got a huge agricultural sector and thus has VERY strict customs laws to protect its economic interests. A single new insect/pest can wipe out the banana industry for several years, for example. That’s more than $600 million. Just bananas. So you can understand why it’s so strict.
Amber showed her ignorance with her the minister wanted his 15 minutes comment (no, Amber, it’s you who’s fame hungry). The fact that they were so blatant about their dogs and their silly comments afterwards made it worse. I have a feeling they’ll get a big fine but no jail time, but I hope she gets a suspended sentence and learns a lesson. Do not f*** with customs and the agricultural industry. It’s big money, people’s jobs, people’s livelihoods, and of course, tax revenue for the government. Despite travelling quite a bit, she is ignorant as heck about this stuff, so will someone please educate her?
Joyce was already famous before this, granted famous for being a jackass but famous nevertheless, so her 15 minutes comment was a fail.
Nobody knew who he was outside of Australia. Her comment was not a fail at all. He did seek attention.
He was asked the question by journalists when Aussie tabloids splashed pics of their dogs all over the news. They took their dogs to local groomers and then paps also took pics of their dogs in their rental house. What are you going to do as a public officer with the duty to enforce these laws?
It was such a pathetic comment by Amber. I couldn’t believe how arrogant she was to say that. I’m not a fan of Joyce and I would have thought that regardless of which ever politician she accused. If she’d said, “I think it’s all been blown out of proportion and we were in the wrong, but it’s not that big of a deal,” that would have been a different thing. But accusing a public officer doing his job of being fame-hungry? Projection. Arrogant, ignorant, and dismissive of other country’s laws. What a hick.
And Johnny’s comments about assaulting a public officer? If his film wasn’t such a big production in QLD, he’d be denied visas forever for making a threat of violence. These two are in la-la land.
@Goji I don’t think Johnny’s dying to ever go back to Australia.
Joyce did not ‘seek’ attention. The fact that the international media picked up on the speech was not his doing. It seems by talking non-stop about it, Depp and Heard are the attention-seekers. As far Depp coming back to Australia, we really don’t want him to come back, ever. Good riddance to him!
@Tarsha He actually did. He would have not talked about it on television if he did not want the international media to pick up on it. How exactly are Depp and Heard talking non-stop about it? Heard only talked about it once, and Depp talked about it jokingly two times. They were both constantly asked about it by the press when they were promoting their movies. Unlike Joyce, they did not go out of their way to talk about it on television. Depp is the most popular actor in the world according to IMDB, he does not need to seek attention, he gets all the attention without doing anything.
Who are “we”? Thousands of Australians were waiting to meet him on set when he was filming Pirates 5 in QLD. Pretty sure they’d like to want him to come back.
@Jerard Australian politician are extremely accessible to the media, most of them will stop and talk to them for a few minutes on their way into parliament. Joyce is a senior government minister and deputy of his party, he’s on TV on a regular basis.
And it wasn’t thousands, it was a few hundred.
I had a cane toad in my bedroom the other night. Australia has learnt the hard way about the importance of biosecurity.
The thing is, they have already gotten special treatment. Look up Talia Anthony’s (law lecturer) comments. Regular people get charged straight away.
I’m glad a big deal is being made of this – highlights the fact that rules and regulations need to be followed by EVERYONE – we moved to Australia two years ago and brought our dog with us- it took 6 months of paperwork and preparation (and lots of $$) before he was even allowed to enter the country – and then he spent 10 days in quarantine – follow the damn rules, people! – they’re there for a reason! –
I want to say Bravo to you! I simply glanced at the procedure and my head started spinning so kudos for following it through and doing the right thing!!! I could tell it costs a lot of money and time. Didn’t you also have to be in direct contact with the authorities in AUS before arrival? The paperwork seems very specific but so do the quarantine instructions.
We hired a company that specialises in animal travel – they’ve assisted with moving all sorts of animals all around the world – there’s no way I could begin to make sure everything was done correctly – and you’re right, they were in contact with authorities here in Australia before NORM (our dog) arrived – there were agents waiting to take him to quarantine – I was a basket case but if everything is in order everything should go smoothly –
Heard and Depp certainly have lawyers and personal assistants to do these things for them?
so she’s going to throw her employees under the bus?? Fairly certain the blame falls to her as the owner regardless. Hints why SHE is being charged.
And I’m fairly certain no one else is allowed to fill out your passenger card. That is the document they’re accusing her of falsifying. As in check “No” I do not have any animals to declare.
Pirates of Caribbean 4 made over a billion dollars, not sure no asked for 5.
I’m pretty sure the maximum sentences are reserved for people genuinely trying to evade the laws in order to do something that will harm Australia’s unique and amazing ecosystem.
They’re not going to send an entitled, dim bulb starlet to jail for trying to bring her purse-dogs in. I do hope they fine her the maximum, just for the embarrassment factor and because you know she can afford to pay it.
australian economy makes a lot of money out of sheep and wool and cattle farming. Bringing in animals might threaten this because they might carry diseases.
Most countries have similar laws. And when the mad cow disease was at its height these laws became very very useful in preventing a pandemic!
australia has a rabbit problem, I believe. Rabbits were an imported species and now they don’t have any natural enemies in Australia. As a result they procreate like crazy and it is a HUGE problem.
Australia isn’t overreacting but Amber Heard should simply stick to the law.
it’s obvious she broke the law by smuggling the dogs into Australia, she would probably just have been slapped with a fine and the matter dropped but she insisted on be an egocentric arse about it so they could in deed throw the book at her , the most interesting item is the charge of falsifying documents, that’s the hook that could send her to jail if she signed fraudulent documents related to bringing the dogs into the country.