Amber Heard fails to turn up in court again for dog smuggling case

Amber Heard, wife of "Pirates of the Caribbean" actor Johnny Depp, was not seen in a Queensland court on Monday where she faces trial for illegally smuggling her two Yorkshire Terriers. The dogs named Pistol and Boo, arrived on a private jet in Australia last May without undergoing quarantine. Heard has been charged for two counts of importing the dogs in the Land Down Under and another count for producing a false document. If convicted, the actress might have to cough up $102,000 as fine. She also faces a penalty of serving 10 years in prison.

Despite court summons, Heard has not been able to make it to the Southport Magistrates Court. This is the third time the matter has been adjourned.

The 29-year-old actress should have declared her pampered pets when she arrived in Queensland, based on Quarantine laws in Australia. The incident created a lot of stir when Barnaby Joyce, the agriculture minister, threatened to euthanise the two Yorkshire Terriers if they were not taken out of the country immediately, according to The Guardian.

Australia’s strict quarantine laws have helped prevent the spread of diseases such as Rabies. Bringing pets into Australia require an application of a permit and at least 10 days of complete quarantine on arrival.

“If we start letting movie stars – even though they’ve been the sexiest man alive twice – to come into our nation (with pets), then why don’t we just break the laws for everybody? It’s time that Pistol and Boo b******* off back to the United States,” Joyce said in a report from The Telegraph.

Heard returned to the US soon after and since then, she hasn’t appeared in any of the court summons. She has even stated in Australia’s Sunrise TV show that neither she nor Depp will be visiting Australia after such an outrageous incident.

Depp also joked about this incident in September at the 2015 Venice Film Festival during a press conference for his crime film "Black Mass." When asked about Pistol and Boo, Johnny quipped in an ABC report that he "'killed and ate' his dogs under direct orders of a 'sweaty, big-gutted man from Australia,'"– a definite reference to Agriculture Minister Barnaby Joyce.

The court excused Heard’s appearance on barrister Paula Morreau’s appeal. Her next appearance is scheduled on Dec. 7.

Contact the writer of this story at feedback@ibtimes.com.au or let us know what you think below.