Barnaby Joyce responds to outrage around his bizarre mid-interview blowup - as animal rights activist MP dredges up his controversial comments about Johnny Depp and Amber Heard's dogs

By ASHLEY NICKEL, NEWS REPORTER, AUSTRALIA Published: 15:45, 21 July 2026 | Updated: 15:46, 21 July 2026 One Nation's Barnaby Joyce has reassured animal lovers that his dog still 'loves' him after he blew up at the pup for interrupting an interview. Joyce had screamed 'sit down' at his dog, which viewers couldn't see or hear, during an interview with Sarah Ferguson for ABC's 7.30 on Monday night. Joyce on Tuesday morning told the Sydney Morning Herald his staffy-border collie cross, Stella, was a 'young' farm dog. 'It just came under the deck while Sarah Ferguson was giving me a grilling. I tried [to go on] for a while, hoping it would stop. I was missing Sarah's questions. The dog loved me in the morning. I don't know if the same can be said about Sarah,' he said. Joyce also took a swipe at viewers who claimed his yelling verged on animal abuse, claiming it highlighted the 'regional-city divide'.  'People in the regions laugh about it. People in the inner-city think it's a war crime,' he said. However, Animal Justice Party MP Georgie Purcell claimed Joyce's outburst was indicative of One Nation's broader attitude toward animals. 'I know a lot of people are laughing it off but I think it creates a bit of a culture of disrespect, and that can lead on to much more adverse outcomes when it comes to our animals,' she told Melbourne radio station 3AW. Barnaby Joyce (above) interrupted an ABC interview on Monday night to yell 'sit down' at his dog, which couldn't be seen or heard by viewers Animal Justice Party MP Georgie Purcell (pictured with partner Josh Burns) highlighted Joyce's previous threat to euthanise Johnny Depp and Amber Heard's dogs Purcell added voters 'only need to look back to Pistol and Boo to know how Barnaby Joyce feels about dogs'. The comment was a nod to Joyce's controversial threat to the dogs of American actors Amber Heard and Johnny Depp in 2015. The then-couple had illegally flown their two yorkshire terriers, Pistol and Boo, into Australia and was warned by Joyce to send them home or they'd be euthanised. The dogs were sent back to the US and Heard and Depp pleaded guilty to the dog-smuggling charges. Heard made light of the situation in 2021 when she named a new pup Barnaby Joyce.   Purcell claimed Rikkie-Lee Tyrrell, One Nation's only MP in Victoria, frequently voted against animal welfare legislation. 'What I can say is of all the animal welfare proposals that I've brought to the parliament, including ending the shooting of wombats on private properties, One Nation have voted against almost all of them,' Purcell said. 'The track record is there to show they aren't supporting or advancing the issues from the MPs who are actively working on animal welfare. Joyce on Tuesday said his dog, Stella (above), still 'loves' him 'So I hope that people will see this for what it is.' Joyce had blown up at the dog right as Ferguson questioned whether he supported One Nation leader Pauline Hanson's plans for mass deportation. Joyce, who appeared to be doing the interview from a verandah, abruptly paused, turned and yelled 'sit down' to something off-screen. 'Sorry, it's a dog,' Joyce said. Joyce interrupted the interview again two minutes later, this time moving away from Ferguson's question about a manifesto Lowe gave Hanson bluntly titled 'Mass Deportation'. 'I have to apologise for this dog, which has decided to bail up my...' Joyce said. Ferguson cut him short: 'Don't worry about the dog, just answer the question.' A clearly annoyed Joyce then shot back: 'Oh, don't be rude. Don't be rude otherwise this interview will come to a grinding halt, Sarah.'  Depp and Heard had two Yorkshire Terriers called Pistol and Boo that they snuck into Australia American actress Amber Heard poked fun at Joyce's threat to euthanise her dogs by naming a new pup (above) after him in 2021 The strange moment immediately caught the attention of viewers, with one labelling the interview a 'trainwreck' and joking Joyce would 'blame it all on the dog'. Hanson told reporters in Perth on Tuesday the incident was 'funny' to watch.   'I laughed. It's funny. That's Barnaby. This is why I love the people around me. We're just human,' Hanson said.  'He told the dog shut up. So what is your problem with that?'