People Are Already Cyberbullying Albo’s Pet Dog, Toto
Woof 😔
Anthony Albanese might’ve become Prime Minister this week, but someone close to home has stolen the spotlight from him — his pet dog Toto.
It all started when user Toto Albanese came out of the woodworks on Tuesday, retweeting a bunch of candid snapshots of the Cavoodle during the election campaign — harmless, right? But things went south when Australia’s First Dog was given a voice reminiscent of 2013 doge culture and ‘DoggoLingo’.
“Hello friends!” Toto innocently posted in her first tweet. Then the puns started trickling in with: “Dad thought it’d be a furry good idea to get me a Twitter account so here I am! Woof!”
Hello Australia! 🐾🇦🇺 Dad thought it’d be a furry good idea to get me a Twitter account so here I am! 💞 Woof! 🐾 pic.twitter.com/VNSM6YXwA2
— Toto Albanese, Australia’s 1st Dog 🐾🇦🇺 (@TotoAlbanese) May 24, 2022
Toto became an overnight sensation, racking up more than 20,000 followers in less than 24 hours, and learning the hard way that fame comes with a price — becoming an internet darling also risks being turned into a meme. Her evolving tone started to send people over the edge when she referenced a “furry busy playdate” where she made “new doggy and hooman pals”, and then wished good morning to all her followers slash “fwends”.
i just got bitten by @AlboMP dog. it hurts so much already. it was so scary.
— 🇯🇲 (@acapulco_denver) May 24, 2022
toto listen to me very carefully. if you do one more post i’ll tell your dad you went to go live on a farm
— Nick Schadegg (@nickschadegg) May 24, 2022
I’m a Labor voter, but please delete this page.
— Morris Malone (@mmaloneTAS) May 24, 2022
Every time this account says “hooman” I will kick one (1) dog https://t.co/jSCRP7kwgS
— Jim Malo (@thejimmalo) May 24, 2022
here boy pic.twitter.com/9j1e9DLppL
— Nick Schadegg (@nickschadegg) May 24, 2022
Obviously, the digs were more rogue dark humour than ill-willed-borderline-animal abuse, and plenty of middle-aged people hopped on the Toto bandwagon as well to share snaps of their own pets — mainly cats, more oodles, and crusty white dogs.
The most confusing thing of all is that it’s not Albo’s office behind the account, but a 20-year-old law student from Brisbane, who told The Feed they made the Twitter because they “just like the dog”.
Former Prime Minister Scott Morrison also had a pet dog, Buddy, who mocked media students trying to break into the industry nationwide by managing to snag himself a byline in the Daily Telegraph last July.
“I don’t mind telling you that being locked down in Kirribilli House with Scott can be ruff … ruff, ruff,” said Buddy at the time.
Please, enough.