Florida Woman Blocked From Boarding Plane With Dog Drowns Pet in Airport Bathroom: Police

A Florida woman allegedly drowned her dog in an airport bathroom after she was blocked from boarding her flight with the pet.

Alison Lawrence was arrested Tuesday and charged with aggravated animal cruelty, a third-degree felony, according to police.

The arrest comes following an investigation into an incident which occurred December 16, 2024. When Lawrence tried to board her flight from Orlando to Colombia with her white schnauzer, Tywinn, she was told that the dog could not board the flight as she did not have the proper paperwork, WFTV reported.

Later that day, the Orlando Police Department responded to a call about a dead dog after a worker reportedly found it in a bathroom at the Orlando International Airport. The worker told police that she had witnessed a woman in the bathroom cleaning up water and dog food before she discovered the dog in the trash bag, an affidavit obtained by WESH stated.

Police were able to identify Lawrence as the suspect after her name and contact information were found on the dog's tags.

Lawrence was captured on security cameras with the dog when she arrived at the airport. However, video captured later in the day showed her without the dog. Authorities also confirmed that Lawrence boarded the flight to Colombia before getting on another flight to Ecuador, as reported by the Associated Press.

The dog's cause of death was determined as drowning. Lawrence's bond was set for $5,000, which she has since posted.