Facing the Threat of Imminent Death: Johnny Depp's Dogs Were Being Prepared to be Taken from Australia to the United States

Facing the threat of imminent death, Johnny Depp's dogs, Pistol and Boo, were being prepared to be taken from Australia to the United States after Australia's agriculture minister angrily accused the Hollywood actor of sneaking the pups into the country.

Barnaby Joyce said he was told the Yorkshire terriers were expected to return to the U.S. Friday aboard a private jet, after the government ordered the actor to get his dogs out of Australia by Saturday, saying they would be euthanized if Depp didn't comply.

The canine chaos erupted after Joyce accused Depp of smuggling the dogs in aboard his private jet when he returned to Australia on April 21 to resume filming of the fifth installment in the "Pirates of the Caribbean" movie series at Gold Coast studios.

Australia has strict quarantine regulations to keep diseases such as rabies from spreading to its shores. Bringing pets into the country involves applying for a permit and a quarantine period on arrival of at least 10 days.

The department is investigating how the pets were brought through Brisbane Airport without an import permit.

The Agriculture Department told Depp, 51, and his 29-year-old wife Amber Heard on Wednesday they had to send Pistol and Boo back to the United States within 72 hours.

In Australia, Joyce's tough stance attracted both commendation and criticism, with some praising the minister for defending the nation's laws, and others cringing over what they viewed as his crass response.

The agriculture department discovered that Depp snuck the dogs into Australia after hearing that a handler had taken the terriers to a Gold Coast dog groomer on Saturday, Joyce said. A biosecurity officer found the dogs at a Gold Coast house on Wednesday.

FOLLOW US!

10 Foot Alligator Spotted in Goose Creek South Carolina Still on the Loose

Two young kids in are captivated by their unusual new neighbor, a 10-foot alligator.

The alligator first took up residence in Sonya Gilreath's bushes Thursday morning.

"It didn't look very big to me," she said, adding that it seemed like it could have been a baby alligator.

Police responded, Gilreath said, and as the gator laid still, she and her 2-year-old and 3-year-old sat on the front porch "just watching it."

"All of a sudden, it stood up, and I realized how gigantic it was," she said. "I've never seen one this size before. Not loose."

That's when Gilreath took her excited kids inside and snapped the adorable photos from her kids' perspective.

"They thought it was really cool," she said.

The gator was 10 feet long, according to ABC affiliate WCIV, and taken by local police back into the water. The Department of Natural Resources was notified but did not intervene, WCIV said.

"There's a pond in front of our house and I watched the alligator escort himself into that pond," Gilreath said. "And the animal control and policemen left."

She said she called the Department of Natural Resources, which told her it wouldn't remove the gator from a residential area, instead calling it the homeowner association's responsibility.

"It's still in the pond and I really want it gone," Gilreath said, adding that the homeowner association is looking into the issue. "It is really scary having an animal that size... We probably have about 10 kids on the street that walk to the school bus."

Even though the gator is still on the loose, Gilreath's children are still talking about it today, she said, adding that they definitely seemed more excited than afraid.

"I was trying to keep them from being scared," she said. "I don't want to put fear in them where they're afraid to go outside."

The Goose Creek Police Department wrote on Facebook, "If you see an alligator in your neighborhood, don't approach or attempt to handle them on your own. Our animal control officers will respond and determine the best course of action in these situations."

FOLLOW US!

Many Common Plants, Both in the House and the Yard, Can be Toxic to Our Pets

Many common plants, both in the house and the yard, can be toxic to our pets, including some that can still be found this time of year, either because they are being brought in from outside or because they are popular in holiday displays or decorations. Some toxic plants only cause mild stomach upset, while others can be poisonous. To make things even more confusing, some plants are safe for some species while deadly for others. As a pet owner, it is important that you be familiar with the most dangerous of the toxic plants.

  

FOLLOW US!

Reduce Dog Bites: How To Approach Dogs

Last year, 5,767 postal carriers were bitten by dogs, up from 5,581 in 2013, and the most attacks happened in warm and sunny Los Angeles, Houston and San Diego, said Linda DeCarlo, manager of safety for the U.S. Postal Service. None of the bites caused deaths.

The cities' weather draws pets and people outside and doors and windows get left open, DeCarlo said. The slight rise in bites also stems from the popularity of online shopping because postal workers must bring packages to front doors instead of street-side mailboxes, DeCarlo said.

But the biggest victims are children and senior citizens, who can be overpowered by dogs. Of the 4.5 million people bitten every year, more than half are kids, said Dr. Jose Arce, an American Veterinary Medical Association board member.

Bites kill about 16 people a year. Besides the postal-worker totals, specific numbers on dog bites are lacking because few people seek treatment. And no one tracks bites by breed.

National Dog Bite Prevention Week starts Sunday, and this year's programs launched Thursday. Because children are the most vulnerable and easily injured, the American Veterinary Medical Association will focus on teaching kids how to deal with dogs.

What NOT To Do

• Stare into a dog's eyes.
• Tease a dog.
• Approach one that's chained up or injured.
• Touch a dog you don't know that's off a leash.
• Run or scream if one charges.
• Play with a dog while it's eating.
• Touch one while it's sleeping.
• Get close to one that's nursing puppies.
• Leave a small child alone with a dog, even if it's the family pet.

What TO Do

• Ask an owner before petting a dog you don't know.
• Let the dog sniff your closed fist before touching it.
• Freeze if a dog runs toward you.
• Socialize puppies so they are comfortable around people and other animals.
• Use a leash in public.

How Parents Can Help

• When the mail arrives, place your pet in a closed room so it can't go through a window or screen door to possibly attack the carrier. Tell children not to take mail from the carrier in front of the dog because the animal could see it as threatening.

• Also, teach children to treat dogs with respect and avoid rough or aggressive play.

What Kids Can Watch

The veterinary group made YouTube videos describing miscommunication between dogs and kids. A new short will be released each day through the week. One gap is that most pooches don't like to be hugged. That helps explain why two-thirds of young victims get bites on the head or neck, according to the American Humane Association.

Where Bites Happened

Last year, 74 postal-carrier bites were reported in Los Angeles, followed by Houston with 62 and San Diego with 47, DeCarlo said.

The LA tally rose from 61 bites in 2013, when Houston was No. 1 with 63. San Diego moved up a notch from two years ago, when 53 postal workers were bitten.

The Postal Service didn't break down the severity of injuries, but 1,540 bites kept employees from work for at least a day after the attack, DeCarlo said.

Insurance Payouts

Bites and other dog-related injuries cost insurers $530 million last year, about a third of their paid claims, the Insurance Information Institute said.

The number of dog-bite claims decreased 4.7 percent from 2013, but the average cost per claim rose by 15 percent because of higher medical costs and settlements. The average claim in 2014 was $32,072, up from $27,862.

FOLLOW US!

Australian Quarantine Authorities Have Given Johnny Depp Two Days to Get His Little Dogs Out of the Country

Agriculture Minister Barnaby Joyce on Thursday accused Depp of smuggling his beloved Agriculture Minister Barnaby Joyce into Canberra aboard his private jet when he returned to Australia on April 21 (after cutting his hand) to resume filming of the fifth installment in the Pirates of the Caribbean movie series.

The Agriculture Department on Wednesday gave Depp, 51, and wife Amber Heard, 29, 72-hour notice to send the pets packing back to the states or they will be put down.

"If you 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 laws for everybody?" Joyce said. "It's time that Pistol and Boo buggered off back to the United States."

Heard posted a photo of the dogs being held by Depp's daughter, Lily Rose, two months ago.

A petition has gone up at Change.org to save the dogs.

Australia has quarantine regulations to prevent diseases such as rabies spreading to its shores. To bring a pet in, owners must apply for a permit and submit to a 10-day quarantine period upon arrival.

Depp's pups were discovered when a handler had taken the terriers in a handbag to a Gold Coast dog groomer on Saturday, Joyce said. "Now Mr. Depp has to either take his dogs back to California or we're going to have to euthanize them," Joyce said.

Depp's reps have not responded.

Joyce's spokesman Brett Chant said the dogs were in "home quarantine" at the moment, but would not say where, reports AP. And Joyce said the Agriculture Department would be responsible for putting the dogs down if they do not leave Australia.

"After that, I don't expect to be invited to the opening of Pirates of the Caribbean," he said.

FOLLOW US!

Florida Landscaper Runs Tractor Over Duck and Ducklings, as a Family Watched: Arrested and Charged with Nine Counts of Animal Cruelty

Laura Gontchar loved the family of 11 Muscovy ducklings and their mother that lived near her home in Wellington, Fla. After the ducklings hatched, Gontchar and her family would leave food out for them and watch as the ducks ventured out of their lake to eat.

That’s exactly what Gontchar; her husband, Boyd Jentzsch; and their 7-year-old son, Kai, were doing on May 2, they said. That is, until Jason Falbo, a landscaper working his way through the yard on a riding lawnmower, started heading straight for the family of ducklings.

Gontchar told the Palm Beach Post that she ran outside to flag Falbo down as he approached the ducklings. Her son followed her, she said. “He was yelling, ‘Stop, stop! Ducks! Stop!’”

But according to the family, Falbo plowed right into the family of ducklings, then backed up his lawnmower to run them over again. All but two of the ducklings were killed; seven were killed in the lawnmower’s blades and two others drowned as what remained of the family escaped back to the safety of the lake.

On Wednesday, the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office arrested and charged Falbo with nine counts of animal cruelty, according to the office’s inmate records. He’s being held on a $27,000 bond.

Jentzsch told the Sun Sentinel that Falbo was smiling as he made his second pass over the family of ducks:

“What are you doing to my ducks?” Kai wailed, his father remembers. “Why are you laughing?”

The boy, in tears, ran from the backyard and back into his house. Jentzsch and his wife were stunned.

“It was one of the most emotional things I’ve ever seen,” Jentzsch said. “It was just — wow.”

Falbo was confronted by Gontchar and Jentzsch. He said he was unable to see the ducklings as he mowed their lawn. But the family didn’t believe him. After he left their property, Jentzsch called authorities. Animal Care and Control found their remains by the lake, the Sun Sentinel reported.

Falbo’s boss, Wayne Soini, told the Palm Beach Post that the lawn’s grass was too high for Falbo to see the small ducklings and that he believed the whole ordeal was a misunderstanding. But a police report obtained by the paper notes that the family was farther away from the ducklings than Falbo was and had no problem seeing them in the grass.

Soini also defended his employee in an interview with CBS 12. “He’s not cruel, he would not have done this deliberately,” Soini, who gave only his first name to the CBS affiliate, said. Soini rents a room in his home to Falbo and as employed the landscaper for nine months. Soini added that he believes his employee threw the lawnmower into reverse not out of cruelty but because “there were more in front of him … when he backed up it was to prevent [killing] the ones that were still there.”

Gontchar told the Palm Beach paper that since that awful day, the mother duck and her two remaining children have returned to the site multiple times. “She came back and was clucking, calling for her ducklings. But they weren’t there.”

The couple is struggling to explain to Kai what it is that he witnessed, Jentzsch told the Sun Sentinel. “He asked me,” Jentzch said, “‘Is everybody out there like this?'”

FOLLOW US!