US woman, 57, drowns dog in airport restroom after pet was denied boarding

Following an investigation, police issued a warrant for Alison Agatha Lawrence’s arrest. (Image: X)

A 57-year-old woman in the United States has been arrested for allegedly drowning her dog in an airport restroom after being told she could not take the animal on board her flight. The incident occurred on December 16, 2024 at Orlando International Airport, where authorities were alerted to a dead dog found in a women’s bathroom before the security checkpoints.

An investigation led police to identify Alison Agatha Lawrence as the suspect. She was arrested on March 18, 2025 for aggravated animal cruelty, a third-degree felony. According to reports, Lawrence had arrived at the airport intending to travel to Colombia with her pet dog, Tywinn, but was informed she lacked the necessary paperwork to bring the animal on board.

After being denied boarding with the dog, Lawrence took the animal into a restroom, drowned it in a toilet, and then discarded the body in a bin before attempting to proceed through security. The gruesome discovery was made by airport cleaning staff, who then alerted authorities.

Following an investigation, police issued a warrant for Lawrence’s arrest. She was taken into custody nearly three months after the incident and later released on a $5,000 bond, according to arrest records.

The incident sparked widespread condemnation online, with many expressing shock and anger.

One user on X (formerly Twitter) wrote: "Literally no reason to do that other than pure evil." Another added: "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 third commented: "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, or even asking airport staff for assistance."

Bryan Wilson, a representative of the Animal Rights Foundation of Florida, called for harsher punishment for such acts of cruelty. Speaking to ClickOrlando, Wilson said: "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," he added, criticising the inhumane treatment of the animal.

The case also reignited discussions around animal welfare laws. Florida State Senator Tom Leek addressed the issue, referencing Senate Bill 502, a proposed law aimed at strengthening penalties for animal cruelty.

Speaking after the incident, Leek stated: "This is yet another horrible example of why I filed Senate Bill 502 related to animal cruelty, which strengthens criminal penalties for those who do harm to innocent animals."

"It is my commitment to have this bill pass the Florida Senate and the Florida House of Representatives and sent to Governor Ron DeSantis for his signature," he added.

Neighbours of Lawrence said they believed she owned a white poodle, though they were unaware of the incident at the time. Meanwhile, her sister claimed to have no knowledge of the allegations or her whereabouts, adding that Lawrence did not have a phone.