Johnny Depp's Wife Faces 10 Years in Doggie Brouhaha

Johnny Depp’s wife is being held responsible for sneaking their dogs into Australia in April. Amber Heard, 29, was charged Tuesday with two counts of illegally importing the Yorkshire terriers, and one count of providing a false document, reports NBC News. Depp and Heard brought their two dogs into the country on a private jet, but didn’t declare them on the passenger manifest, get a permit, or have them quarantined. The process is serious business Down Under to prevent the spread of rabies and other diseases. The terriers, Boo and Pistol, were busted after they were taken to a groomer, and were shipped back to the US under threat of euthanasia.

Heard faces up to 10 years in prison on the illegal importation charges, and one year for the fake passenger record. The former charge carries a fine of about $75,000; the false document charge carries a $7,500 fine. Agriculture Minister Barnaby Joyce says the Pirates of the Caribbean star and his wife won’t receive special treatment. "You, I, everybody—we're equal before the law," he insists. Neither the prosecutor’s office nor the Department of Agriculture explained why Depp wasn’t charged. Heard, meanwhile, is expected to appear in court on Sept. 7. (More Johnny Depp stories.)