A woman at the Orlando International Airport in Florida reportedly drowned her small dog in a nearby bathroom after the airline refused to allow her to board the aircraft because she didn’t have the correct paperwork.
According to the Associated Press, authorities said the woman was arrested in Lake County on Wednesday and is facing charges of aggravated animal abuse, which is a third-degree felony.
Lake County Sheriff’s Office revealed the woman’s name is Alison Lawrence. After her arrest, Lawrence was released on a $5,000 bail.
Lawrence reportedly drowned her dog, a 9-year-old miniature schnauzer, named Tywin, before boarding an international flight in December 2024 to Bogota, Colombia.
Tywin was found in a trash can by a janitor who had seen the women cleaning up food and water in a bathroom stall, coming back 20 minutes later only to discover Tywin’s lifeless body.
Investigators said Tywin’s body still had his companion vest, collar, rabies tag, a dog travel bag, and a bone-shaped dig tag with Lawrence’s name and phone number on it.
The AP further reported that Lawrence was travelling to Colombia, and then to Ecuador, but her dog did not have a veterinarian-issued health certificate and rabies vaccination certificate, according to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection who confirmed the requirements to investigators.
