Woman Arrested for Allegedly Drowning Dog in Airport Bathroom When It Couldn't Board Flight: Police

News By TooFab Staff |
Getty/Lake County Sheriff's Office

According to authorities, the woman didn't have the proper paperwork needed for the dog to fly with her.

A woman has been charged with felony animal cruelty after she allegedly killed her dog in the bathroom at the Orlando International Airport.

Alison Agatha Lawrence, 57, was arrested on Tuesday, March 18, and slapped with a third-degree felony charge of aggravated animal abuse for the incident, which happened during the Christmas season last year.

The Orlando Police Department first responded to the case when they received a call on December 16, 2024 from an employee that they had found a dead animal in a trash receptacle inside the women's public restroom.

A spokesperson for the Greater Orlando Aviation Authority confirmed to NBC affiliate WESH that an investigation determined that a woman had drowned her dog in the restroom and placed it in the trash before she reached any security checkpoints.

According to sources that spoke with ABC affiliate WFTV, the woman was attempting to board a flight only to find out she didn't have the proper paperwork to allow her dog to board and fly with her.

After her arrest, the news outlet spoke with some of Lawrence's neighbors, who said they recalled seeing her walking with a white poodle in the neighborhood, but had noticed that neither Lawrence nor the dog had been seen lately.

"Someone that would do such things has got to be disturbed upstairs," one neighbor told WFTV.

Based on the evidence uncovered, police issued a warrant for Lawrence's arrest and she was apprehended at her home in Lake County. WESH reports she has since posted her $5,000 bond and been released.

The GOAA spokesperson urged anyone planning to travel with an animal to be sure they check the TSA website for all regulations and requirements before going to the airport to learn how to travel with their companions.

Voicing his support for harsher penalties for animal cruelty and abuse, Bryan Wilson with the Animal Rights Foundation of Florida told ClickOrlando, "Obviously, we were shocked when we heard a woman had effectively drowned her companion animal all because she couldn’t get on a plane. This is not a bottle of water or an oversized bottle of shampoo."