After being denied permission to bring her white miniature schnauzer on an international flight due to a paperwork issue, a woman allegedly drowned the dog in a Florida airport bathroom before boarding her flight.

Authorities in Lake County arrested her on charges of aggravated animal abuse, a third-degree felony. She was later released on a USD 5,000 bail.

“This act was intentional and resulted in a cruel and unnecessary death of the animal,” said an arrest affidavit from the Orlando Police Department.

Court records show no attorney listed for the woman from Kenner, Louisiana.

Investigation opens after dog found dead in trash

The investigation into the death of the 9-year-old schnauzer, Tywinn, began in December when a janitor discovered the dog’s body in a trash bag inside a bathroom stall at Orlando International Airport.

Earlier, the janitor had noticed the woman cleaning up water and dog food from the floor of the stall. After being called away for an emergency, the janitor returned about 20 minutes later to find Tywinn in the trash, alongside a vest, collar, rabies tag, travel bag, and a bone-shaped dog tag bearing the woman’s name and phone number, investigators reported.

Surveillance footage from the airport revealed the woman in a 15-minute conversation with a Latam Airlines agent while her dog was present.

She then entered a bathroom near the ticketing area with the dog, but emerged less than 20 minutes later without it. The woman then left the terminal, reentered shortly after, cleared security, and boarded a flight to Colombia.

Authorities confirmed that the woman had been informed she couldn’t bring her dog onboard due to a lack of proper documentation.

According to the US Department of Agriculture, dogs traveling from the US to Colombia must be accompanied by both a health certificate from a veterinarian and proof of rabies vaccination.

The dog, identified through its implanted microchip, was found to have drowned, according to a necropsy. US Customs and Border Protection also confirmed that the woman had boarded a flight to Bogota, Colombia, before continuing her journey to Ecuador.

With AP inputs