A Florida woman has been accused of drowning her dog in an airport bathroom after she learned she could not take it on a flight with her.
The investigation into the death of the 9-year-old miniature schnauzer started when a janitor found the dog in a garbage bag in a bathroom stall at Orlando International Airport.
In an arrest affidavit, the Orlando Police Department wrote that 57-year-old Alison Lawrence arrived at the airport on Dec. 16, 2024, with her dog, Tywinn, for a flight to Colombia.
The affidavit claims that Lawrence was denied boarding at her gate due to improper travel paperwork for her pet. Police allege she then took the dog to a nearby bathroom and drowned it in a toilet.
A woman who was working at the time told police she saw a woman, later identified as Lawrence, sitting on the bathroom floor of a stall, cleaning up a large amount of water and dog food.
The employee said she had to tend to an emergency elsewhere, and when she returned, she saw Lawrence exit the stall and leave with a purse and suitcase.
Protecting animals facing cruelty
That’s when the employee removed the trash bag from the canister and found the dog, the affidavit says.
The dog’s tags had Lawrence’s name and contact information on it, police said.
According to police, surveillance footage captured Lawrence entering the airport with her dog, and later exiting the bathroom without the dog and then later seen at her gate.
Authorities said the woman had been told she could not bring her dog aboard because she did not have the proper paperwork. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, dogs travelling from the U.S. to Colombia must be accompanied by a veterinarian-issued health certificate and a rabies vaccination certificate.
The dog was identified by its implanted microchip and a necropsy determined that Tywinn had been drowned. U.S. Customs and Border Protection also confirmed to detectives that the woman had boarded a flight to Bogota, Colombia, and then flew to Ecuador.
Lawrence was taken into custody Tuesday in Lake County, Fla., and charged with aggravated animal cruelty, a third-degree felony.
She’s since posted a US$5,000 bond, police confirmed.
Animal cruelty charges in Florida can result in up to five years in prison and a $10,000 fine.
— With files from The Associated Press