Award-winning singer fined after bulldog mauls neighbour's elderly cavoodle

Award-winning singer songwriter Tones and I has been fined after her American bulldog killed her neighbour’s cavoodle outside her home on the Mornington Peninsula in Victoria.

The pop singer, whose real name is Toni Elizabeth Watson, was charged after her dog Boss escaped from her property in Mt Eliza in November and mauled her neighbour’s 17-year-old cavoodle.

9News understands the neighbour had set off on a walk with his two cavoodles when he noticed Watson’s chocolate labrador Charlie was locked out.

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - NOVEMBER 09: Tones And I performs at Rod Laver Arena on November 09, 2024 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Brittany Long/WireImage)
Tones And I performs at Rod Laver Arena in November. (Brittany Long/WireImage)

He notified Watsons’s friend, who had just arrived at the mansion, and, as she opened the gate to retrieve the labrador, Boss escaped and launched at the cavoodle.

Watson’s dog bit the cavoodle on the neck and refused to let go. 

The cavoodle died and two of the three people who it took to separate the dogs were also injured.

The matter was heard at Dromana Magistrate’s Court yesterday.

Watson is in the US recording her next album, so her lawyer appeared on her behalf.

She was ordered to pay more than $3000 in fines for failing to properly secure and register her dog.

It’s understood she has accepted full responsibility and remains on good terms with her next-door neighbours. 

Animal behaviourist Ana Goncalves Costa said the situation appeared to be bad luck.

“I really feel for everyone involved, because it’s a horrendous situation to be in,” she said.

“Attacks can happen really quickly, and the can escalate really quickly as well.

“And my understanding is that a bit of bad luck played a role in here in terms of timing.”

You May Also Like

Gainesville Man Arrested After Allegedly Threatening Family Members With Hammer

Staff report GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Christopher Akiva Jenkins, 53, was taken into…

Man Accused of Daylight Kidnapping of 16-Year-Old at Thrift Store

Inset: Raymar Fraser (Broward County Jail). Background: Fraser allegedly kidnapped a girl…

Police Arrest Girlfriend After Man Is Found Dead Near Apartment Dumpster and Detectives Uncover Second Scene

Left: Isidra Bautista Hernandez. Right: Florida police take Bautista Hernandez into custody…

Man Sentenced for Forcing Adderall on Teen, Abandoning Him

Inset: Brandon Holguin (Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office). Background: The North…

Four Men Sentenced to 25 Years Over 2024 Valentine’s Day Shooting at Sweetwater Square

Staff report GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Robert Lavelle Green Jr., Jordan Isaiah Howard,…

DoorDash Dad Vanishes After Texting Wife; Car Found, Key in Ignition

Inset: Zachariah Schuck, pictured by the North Sewickley Township Police Department. Background:…

Court Docs: Trump’s ‘Unlawful’ Arch Threatens Kennedy Gravesites

President Donald Trump displays an image of the proposed Triumphal Arch on…

Lawsuit: Trump Administration Violated FOIA Over DOGE Access to Social Security Data

Left: Elon Musk displays a T-shirt reading “DOGE” as he walks across…