Amber Heard and Johnny Depp do a stiff PSA as she pleads guilty in dog-smuggling case - Los Angeles Times
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Amber Heard and Johnny Depp do a stiff PSA as she pleads guilty in dog-smuggling case

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Amber Heard and Johnny Depp’s dramatic dog-smuggling case has ended on an awkward note: The couple shot a video for the Australian government delineating the reasons everyone should declare every living thing in their possession upon arrival to the continent.

Oh, she also pleaded guilty Monday to providing a false immigration document when she brought Yorkies Pistol and Boo into the country via private plane in May 2015, the Associated Press reported.

So much for the threats of dog euthanasia and 10 years behind bars for the “Aquaman” actress on charges of illegal importation, which were dropped. And Depp was never charged after it was determined in July that the critters belonged to his wife.

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“Australia is a wonderful island with a treasure trove of unique animals and people. ...,” Heard says in a terrifically serious video posted on the Australian Government Department of Agriculture and Water Resources’ YouTube page, which also includes such hits as “Antimicrobial resistance” and “Landcare to lunchbox: the balance of food production — day 1 sesh 2 pt 1.”

(We kid, we kid — island biosecurity is important. It’s just amusing to see Hollywood types like the stars of “Pirates of the Caribbean” and “Magic Mike XXL” exude such earnestness without a gala fundraising effort attached.)

“Australia is free of many pests and diseases that are commonplace around the world,” Heard continues. “That is why Australia has to have such strong biosecurity laws.... I am truly sorry that Pistol and Boo were not declared. Protecting Australia is important.”

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Depp chimed in as well, presumably referring to comments by Agriculture Minister Barnaby Joyce, who gave the terriers 72 hours to get out of town alive and said, “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 buggered off back to the United States.”

Depp explained, “Australians are just as unique, both warm and direct. If you disrespect Australian law, they will tell you firmly.”

That was in contrast to a comment he’d made at a Venice Film Festival news conference in September for “Black Mass.”

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“I killed my dogs and ate them,” Depp had said, “under direct orders from some kind of, I don’t know, sweaty, big-gutted man from Australia.” A week later, he joked to Jimmy Kimmel that hey, “there might have been other things smuggled” and said he would “assault” Joyce if the Aussie government tried to jail his wife.

On the lesser charge, which could have brought her up to a year in jail and a fine of up to $7,650, Heard was sentenced to a one-month good behavior bond, the Associated Press said, which means that if she breaks no laws in Australia for the next month, she avoids a fine of just under $700.

Her attorney Jeremy Kirk called Heard’s actions a mistake, the Associated Press said, and said she never intended to lie on her incoming passenger card, explaining to the court that she was jet lagged and assumed her assistants had sorted out the paperwork.

Follow Christie D’Zurilla on Twitter @theCDZ. Follow the Ministry of Gossip @LATcelebs.

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