Johnny Depp's dogs have finally left Australia hours before deadline

Authorities confirmed that the actor has removed little Yorkshire Terriers from Australia after quarantine concerns

(Amber Heard/Instagram)

What might be the strangest incident of the week has finally been resolved.

Johnny Depp and his wife Amber Heard have finally taken their dogs out of Australia after authorities threatened to have them put down.

Officials said Pistol and Boo threatened Australia's customs and biosecurity laws. All animals must be screened upon entering the country to prevent the spread of rabies.

Earlier in the week, Depp and Heard were told that their dogs would be put down if they did not leave the country within 50 hours.

Agriculture Minister Barnaby Joyce tweeted that the Yorkshire Terriers had left the country on Friday morning.

Straight-talking Joyce earlier said: "it’s time that Pistol and Boo b**gered off back to the United States."

The authorities allege that Depp and Heard brought Pistol and Boo into the country illegally on a private jet. It is not known whether Depp and Heard joined them on the flight back to the US.

A statement said: "Two dogs that were brought into Australia without meeting our import requirements have now been exported back to their country of origin. A Department of Agriculture officer has escorted the two dogs from the property in Queensland, where they had been held under quarantine order, to the airport for their flight home.

"The department issued the necessary export documentation and correspondence to the relevant veterinary authority to facilitate the repatriation of the dogs. All costs associated with returning the dogs were met by the owners."

The couple could have face criminal charges, fines or even custodial sentences if they are found to have lied to customs officials.

Earlier in the week, Joyce said Depp and Heard could "put [the dogs] on the same charter jet he flew in on and fly back out of our nation".

"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?” he said.

"They know our laws, abide by them."

Speaking of the threat to euthanise the dogs, Joyce said: "That's the deal," during a radio interview.