Johnny Depp's Dogs Won't Be Put Down; Australian Official Defends Country's Strict Animal Policy

Actor and Amber Heard's Yorkshire terriers were going to be euthanized if not sent to United States by Saturday

Well thank dog, it's official: Johnny Depp's pups won't be going to the death chamber Down Under.

Barnaby Joyce, Australia's Minister for Agriculture, had threatened to euthanize Depp and Amber Heard's Yorkshire terriers Boo and Pistol if they were not removed from the country by Saturday. The Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales star was accused of violating Australia's strict quarantine regulations and smuggling the pets in the country without following proper procedure or adhering to quarantine requirements.

Sources told E! News Thursday that Boo and Pistol would be returning to the United States via private jet, and on Friday, Australian officials confirmed the dogs had, indeed, made their way out of the country safely. Joyce himself announced the #WarOnTerrier was over with a single tweet:

Dogs gone.

? Barnaby Joyce (@Barnaby_Joyce) May 15, 2015

His office released a statement to E! News further explaining why Australian officials had mandated the dogs leave Australia in the first place (or else!): "The reason the dogs must be flown out of the country is because the owners need to arrange the relevant health checks and certifications before coming into the country–we don't allow entry without these checks and certainly don't facilitate these checks post-entry. There is already a separate post-entry quarantine process in place for animals imported legally with the correct health checks done."

Joyce's office went on to note that Australian officials are committed "to protecting our status as being free from a number of pests and diseases...These pests could potentially threaten the health of our humans, animals, plants and the environment."

The Agricultural Minister's officer reiterated that "wild dogs are endemic to some parts of our country," and that the regulations and quarantine period required for entry is necessary so as not to add to " the "thousands (potentially hundreds of thousands) of wild dogs in our rural and remote areas...If a disease such as rabies were to be introduced it would be easily spread and would devastate many of our industries, not to mention be a threat to domestic pets as well as to human life."

The statement concluded: "The Minister was simply highlighting how prevalent the wild dog issue was here–he was not suggesting that the two dogs in question (Yorkshire Terriers) were capable of killing sheep, or would contribute to our wild dog problem."

Woof, it's hard out here for a pup. Boo and Pistol, glad you're making it back home safe.

—Reporting by Lindsay Good