Johnny Depp may be leaving Australia with his tail between his legs, after an attempt to smuggle in his two dogs left the country's Agriculture Minister Barnaby Joyce furious.
The 51 year-old actor was down under filming another installment of Pirates of the Caribbean when authorities discovered he'd brought his two Yorkies, Boo and Pistol, into the country on his private jet without declaring the terriers to customs.
Then things got even more complicated. Joyce gave Depp the following ultimatum:
"Mr Depp has to either take his dogs back to California or we are going to have to euthanize them. He's now got about 50 hours left to remove the dogs. He can put them on the same charter jet he flew in on and fly back out of our nation."
Of course no one wants to see innocent dogs put down. But you can understand Joyce's frustration.
Doesn't matter whether you're the pope or Edward Scissorhands - whether you arrive on coach or via Lear jet - you have no right to flout the land of the law. A hard reality this actress learned on a recent visit to the UK.
And in this case the law states that owners entering the country need permits and their dogs must be quarantined for a minimum of 10 days before they are allowed into the country, to prevent the spread of rabies.
The move could cost Depp, whose pooches may yet wind up in limbo if they aren't allowed back in the United States. Of course his fans have rushed to his defence and launched a petition on Change.org to save the dogs!
Surely the obvious answer is for Depp to remain in situ and send back his convoy to the US with the dogs (assuming they have the right paperwork).
You tell me: should Depp's dogs be granted clemency, or are laws designed for everyone?
EDITED: Depp has sent his dogs back to The United States and avoided the executioner.
Related: Tips for Travelling with Dogs
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