Florida woman charged for drowning dog at airport after pet barred from travel

A woman who was accused of drowning her dog in a bathroom toilet at the Orlando International Airport after she was told it was unable to board, has been arrested months after the gruesome discovery.

The Orlando Police Department told Fox News Digital that the incident took place on Dec. 16, 2024, when officers were dispatched to the airport after receiving reports from airport staff who had come across a dead dog in a women’s restroom.

Based on the investigation, police said a warrant was issued for the arrest of the dog’s owner, Alison Agatha Lawrence, for aggravated animal cruelty, which is a third-degree felony. 

New details in the probable cause statement, obtained by FOX 35 Orlando, allege that Lawrence did not have the proper documents that would allow her dog to board the plane, causing her to become agitated. 

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Alison Lawrence was recently arrested after a dead animal was found in a bathroom last year at the Orlando International Airport (OIA), according to police.  (Orlando Police Department)

The report says an airport employee went into the women’s bathroom across from the airline’s check-in counter and noticed a woman had been in one of the stalls for an unusually long time, and was on the ground appearing to clean up “a lot of water and a lot of dog food” from the floor.

The employee had to leave briefly for another “cleanup emergency” and returned about 20 minutes later and noticed that the bathroom trash bag was “heavier than normal.”

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An arrest affidavit alleges Alison Lawrence committed the December 2024 crime after she was told she could not board her flight with the pet because she didn’t have the proper paperwork to do so. (FOX 35 Orlando)

Inside the trash, the employee found a deceased white dog along with several dog-related items, including a leash, collar, and dog tag, the report read, alongside the devastating photos. 

A necropsy later determined that the dog likely died from drowning/being submerged in water.

Surveillance video showed Lawrence at the airport talking with an airline employee and then another employee at the check-in counter, prior to being told that her dog was not allowed on the plane because she did not have the proper paperwork that the airline required, police reported. 

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The Orlando Police Department said officers were dispatched to the airport on Dec. 16, 2024, after receiving reports from airport staff who had come across the dead dog in a women’s restroom. (Photo by Paul Hennessy/Anadolu via Getty Images)

“After Alison Agatha Lawrence was denied boarding of the dog due to improper paperwork, Alison Agatha Lawrence is believed to have taken extreme and tragic action by killing the dog,” Orlando police said in the arrest affidavit.

Police said after the dog’s death, Lawrence proceeded through security and eventually boarded her flight to Colombia. 

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Lawrence was taken into custody earlier this week in Lake County, police said, where she is being held on a $5,000 bond and will eventually be extradited to Orange County.

The Greater Orlando Aviation Authority (GOAA) shared a statement with FOX 35 News, stating that they “fully cooperate with law enforcement” and urged anyone traveling with pets to review the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) website for guidelines and information prior to traveling.