Photos for Headline Surfer / ABOVE: Alison Lawrence, 57, of Clermont, is shown at Orlando International Airport with her Tywinn, her 9-year-old miniature schnauzer on Dec. 16, 2024, on a flight to Colombia. The little dog never made it onboard. Lawrence is shown in her mugshot from her arrest Tuesday by the Orlando Police Department on felony charges of drowning her dog in an airport bathroom toilet after she was told it could not fly with her due to a paperwork issue. AT LEFT: Lawrence is shown with the dog going through baggage and heading toward the gate to depart. BELOW: She's shown seated at the gate to take off. In this screenshot by Orlando police from airport cameras, the dog is no longer with her. That's because she killed it, according to the Orlando PD arrest affidavit. The dead miniature schnauzer's dog collar was found in a trash can as was it's wrapped body left behind in a bathroom stall.
By HENRY FREDERICK / Headline Surfer
ORLANDO, Fla. — A Clermont woman is accused of deliberately drowning her little dog in a toilet at Orlando International Airport after learning she could not take it with her when she tried to board her flight.
According to the arrest affidavit from the Orlando Police Department, on Dec. 16, 2024, Alison Lawrence, 57, of Clermont, traveled to the airport with her white dog, Tywinn, for a flight to Colombia.
When the Clermont woman was denied boarding due to improper paperwork, she took Tywinn, her 9-year-old miniature schnauzer, to a bathroom and deliberately drowned it in a toilet, according to the arrest affidavit. The dog was later found dead in a trash bag by an airport employee, who reported the incident to her supervisor.
According to the affidavit, the employee told police she saw a woman, later identified as Lawrence, “on her knees cleaning up a lot of water and a lot of dog food from the floor of the bathroom handicapped stall.”
The employee said she had to tend to an emergency elsewhere, and when she returned, she saw Lawrence exit the stall and leave with a purse and suitcase.
In plain view of surveillance cameras, after speaking to an airline agent for several minutes, Lawrence allegedly walked into a bathroom near the ticketing area with the dog. Less than 20 minutes later, she left the bathroom without the little doggie. In plain view of surveillance cameras, after speaking to an airline agent for several minutes, Lawrence allegedly walked into a bathroom near the ticketing area with the dog. Less than 20 minutes later, she left the bathroom without the little doggie.
In plain view of surveillance cameras, after speaking to an airline agent for several minutes, Lawrence allegedly walked into a bathroom near the ticketing area with the dog. Less than 20 minutes later, she left the bathroom without the little doggie. In plain view of surveillance cameras, after speaking to an airline agent for several minutes, Lawrence allegedly walked into a bathroom near the ticketing area with the dog. Less than 20 minutes later, she left the bathroom without the little doggie.
Paperwork issues prevented Lawrence from taking the pet along with her on an international flight, Orlando police alleged. Lawrence “is believed to have taken extreme and tragic action by killing the dog,” the Orlando PD arrest affidavit says.
Lawrence was taken into custody Tuesday in Lake County, where she posted a $5,000 bond, and was released, according to Orlando police. She faces aggravated animal cruelty, a third-degree felony.
About the Headline Surfer Byline Writer:
Henry Frederick is an award-winning journalist who launched Headline Surfer in 2008, which serves greater Daytona Beach, Sanford & Orlando via HeadlineSurfer.com in Lake Mary, Florida. Frederick earned his Master of Arts in New Media Journalism from Full Sail University in Orlando. He was a breaking news reporter (metro cops & courts beat) for the Daytona Beach News-Journal for nearly a decade, and before that, the same beat with The Journal-News/Gannett Suburban Newspapers in Rockland/Westchester counties, NY, dating back to 1989. Having witnessed the execution of serial killer Aileen Wuornos in Florida's death chamber and covering other high-profile cases, Frederick has appeared on national crime documentary shows on Discovery ID, Reelz, and the Oxygen Network series “Snapped” for his analysis. • Bio: https://henryfrederick.com/
