Australia quietly drops prosecution case against Amber Heard over illegal import of dogs Pistol, Boo to the country

Australia won’t prosecute Hollywood star Amber Heard over allegations she lied about bringing her two dogs Pistol and Boo into the country eight years ago.

The doggie debacle – which engulfed Australia in mid-2015 and prompted a threat from Barnaby Joyce to put the pups down and an infamous ‘hostage’ video apology from Heard and her ex-partner Johnny Depp – ended this week with authorities quietly dropping their prosecution action.

Heard breached Australia’s strict quarantine regulations when she brought the pair of Yorkshire terriers into the country in May 2015 without declaring them.

Amber Heard (pictured with her then partner Johnny Depp in 2016) will not be prosecuted over allegations of perjury related to her illegal importation of dogs Pistol and Boo in 2015

Heard breached Australia’s strict quarantine regulations when she brought the pair of Yorkshire terriers (pictured) into the country in May 2015 without declaring them

It prompted a national scandal after then agriculture minister Mr Joyce threatened to have the dogs euthanised if Heard and Depp didn’t ‘bugger off’ back to the US.

Department of Agriculture authorities had been investigating Heard over allegations of perjury following developments in Depp’s 2020 libel case against The Sun newspaper.

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It was alleged Heard had lied about being aware of Australia’s strict quarantine regulations.

In a statement this week, the department said Heard wouldn’t be prosecuted.

‘The department collaborated with agencies, both in Australia and overseas, to investigate these claims against Ms Heard,’ the department said.

‘A brief of evidence was referred to the Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions, who has made the decision not to prosecute in this instance having applied the prosecution policy of the Commonwealth.’

Department of Agriculture authorities had been investigating Heard over allegations of perjury following developments in Depp’s 2020 libel case against The Sun newspaper 

Depp and Heard (pictured in 2016) apologised for the breach together in an awkwardly filmed video, which was likened to a hostage or ‘proof of life’ video

Heard ultimately escaped conviction, instead paying a fine for the breach in 2016.

Alongside Depp, she took part in a weird video apology where she lauded Australia’s biosecurity laws and apologised for the breach.

It was mocked for being likened to a ‘hostage’ video or ‘proof-of-life’ clip.