Amber Heard will plead not guilty for smuggling pet dogs into Australia

SYDNEY, Dec. 7 (UPI) -- Amber Heard announced that she will be pleading not guilty for illegally smuggling her two Yorkshire Terriers into Australia.

Heard is accused of falsifying documents and for failing to declare her and husband Johnny Depp's pet dogs Boo and Pistol in July while the couple were in Australia for the filming of the latest Pirates of the Caribbean movie.

"Whilst I am unable to comment on the specific matters before the Court I would like to say that I respect the importance of Australia's laws," Heard said in a statement released by her lawyer Sunday. "My decision to defend these charges, as will become apparent in the appropriate forum of the Court, is not intended in any way to diminish the importance of Australia's laws."

Heard faces a maximum of 10 years jail time and/or a fine of $75,000. The story gained headlines after Australia's Agriculture Minister Barnaby Joyce called out Depp and his wife and threatened to have the dogs euthanized if they were not sent back to the U.S.

"I have a feeling we're going to avoid the land Down Under from now on, just as much as we can, thanks to certain politicians there," Heard said at the time on Australian show Sunrise following the incident. "I don't know, I guess everyone tries to go for their 15 minutes, including some government officials."

Heard and Depp last made headlines in November when while walking the red carpet the actor explained how he and his wife "connect on a lot of levels."