Woman drowns dog at Florida airport after failing to board plane with pet: ‘This is not a bottle of water’ | Trending

A woman accused of drowning her dog at the Orlando International Airport, Florida, was arrested. She allegedly took this gruesome step after being told that she wouldn’t be able to board the plane with her pet due to a lack of proper paperwork. The woman was scheduled to travel to Colombia with her dog. (Lake County Sheriff’s Office, Orlando Police Department) According to NBC affiliate WESH, 57-year-old Alison Lawrence arrived at Orlando airport on December 16 along with her dog Tywinn to travel to Colombia. However, she was informed that she didn’t have the proper paperwork and couldn’t take her pet with her. Following this, an airport staff discovered a dead dog in the women’s bathroom. Later, animal service was called at the airport, who determined drowning to be the cause of the dog’s death. According to the Orlando Police Department, as reported NBC affiliate WESH, Lawrence was arrested on March 18, 2025, a few months after the incident. Since then, she has posted $5,000 bond. She is charged with aggravated animal cruelty. “NEW UPDATE on the woman accused of drowning dog in Orlando International Airport bathroom before boarding flight. Alison Agatha Lawrence was reportedly trying to board a flight but didn’t have the right paperwork to allow the dog to board and couldn’t take it. She is charged with animal cr*elty,” an X user wrote while sharing a video that shows Lawrence at the airport. Social media is in disbelief:An individual posted, “Literally no reason to do that other than pure evil.” Another added, “She deserves the absolute worst.” A third commented, “She drowned a dog because she couldn’t board the plane with it? She needs to be held on a 72-hour psych hold before processing.” A fourth wrote, “This is truly horrifying – imagine being so desperate to catch a flight that you’d murder your dog instead of finding another solution. There are always options like pet hotels, local shelters that offer temporary care, or even asking airport staff for assance.” Animal activ reacts:Bryan Wilson, associated with the Animal Rights Foundation of Florida, advocated for harsher punishment, reported ClickOrlando. Wilson told the outlet, “Obviously, we were shocked when we heard a woman had effectively drowned her companion animal all because she couldn’t get on a plane,” adding, “This is not a bottle of water or an oversized bottle of shampoo.” Senator reacts to incident:State Senator Tom Leek issued a statement after the incident, reported ClickOrlando. “This is yet another horrible example of why I filed Senate Bill 502: (Animal Cruelty Offences) related to animal cruelty, which strengthens criminal penalties for those who do harm to innocent animals. It is my commitment to have this good bill pass the Florida Senate and the Florida House of Representatives and sent to Governor Ron DeSantis for his signature,” he said.