Johnny Depp: Wife pleads guilty in dog trial

Agriculture Minister Barnaby Joyce threatened to "euthanise" the dogs Credit: Reuters

Dog smuggling charges against Johnny Depp's wife Amber Heard in Australia have been dropped.

Prosecutors dropped the charges after Ms Heard, 29, on Monday admitted lying on her arrival card into the country last year.

Australia threatened to put down Depp's Yorkshire terriers Pistol and Boo last May after Ms Heard was accused of smuggling them into the country on a private jet.

Depp was in Queensland at the time filming his fifth Pirates of the Caribbean movie when Agriculture Minister Barnaby Joyce said the dogs would either have to be flown back to the USA or "euthanised".

The Hollywood star and his wife attended Southport Magistrates' Court on Monday where Ms Heard pleaded guilty to making a false statement to immigration.

Subsequently, the presiding judge dropped the two illegal importation charges.

Playing ball: Johnny Depp's dogs Credit: APTV

The two importation charges carried a maximum penalty of 10 years in jail or fines of up to £172,000.

The couple have since submitted a video expressing remorse and respect for the country's bio-security laws.

Pistol and Boo's presence in Australia was noticed after a local dog groomer posted a photo of the pair on social media.

At the time, Mr Joyce, is now Australia's deputy prime minister, said the mutts should "bugger off back to the US".