The Rum Diarystar was charged after bringing her dogs,Pistol and Boo,into the country without declaring them,thereby breaking.
It quickly became one of the,as the agriculture minister at the time,Barnaby Joyce,threatened to have the dogs put down unless Heard and her then-partner,actor Johnny Depp,returned them to California.
“It’s time that Pistol and Boo buggered off back to the United States,” Joyce.
Heard had no conviction recorded,but received a one-month good behaviour bond in an Australian Magistrates Court in 2016 after pleading guilty to falsifying her passenger arrival card when she flew into the country.
Shortly after court proceedings,both Heard and Depp appeared in a short apology video that also touted the importance of Australia’s biosecurity. However,the video was largely perceived as,with Joyce himself posting it to his Facebook page and encouraging people to continue watching it.
“Australia’s a wonderful island,with a treasure trove of unique plants,animals and people,” Heard said in the video,which was posted to the. “I am truly sorry that Pistol and Boo were not declared. Protecting Australia is important.”
Though the situation seemed to be put to rest,it in which Depp was suing British media outlet,The Sun. During proceedings,Depp accused Heard of intentionally lying about not being aware of the quarantine restrictions in 2015,and said she had pressured him into corroborating her lies after she was charged.
These claims were supported by Kate James,who was Heard’s personal assistant between March 2012 and February 2015. James said Heard ignored her advice and deliberately smuggled the dogs into Australia.
Consequently,the Australian government launched an investigation into the perjury allegations alongside other local and overseas agencies.
On Tuesday,the Department of Agriculture,Fisheries and Forestry published a on its website saying no action would be taken against Heard over the allegations related to her sentencing for the illegal import of Pistol and Boo.
“The department collaborated with agencies,both in Australia and overseas,to investigate these claims against Ms Heard,” the department wrote.
“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.”
Six years after Joyce dubbed Heard “enemy number one” for Australia’s biosecurity,the actress.
“Meet the newest member of the Heard family,Barnaby Joyce!” she wrote on Twitter (now called X) in 2021,alongside a photo of herself standing in front of a Christmas tree holding a shaggy dog. However,the post is no longer available online.
Comment was sought from Heard. Federal Agriculture Minister Murray Watt declined to comment further.
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