Florida woman drowned her dog in
Orlando airport bathroom
A Florida woman has been accused of drowning her dog in an airport bathroom after she learned she could not take it on a flight with her.
The investigation into the death of the 9-year-old miniature schnauzer started when a janitor found the dog in a garbage bag in a bathroom stall at Orlando International Airport.
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The affidavit claims that Lawrence was denied boarding at her gate due to improper travel paperwork for her pet. Police allege she then took the dog to a nearby bathroom and drowned it in a toilet.
A woman who was working at the time told police she saw a woman, later identified as Lawrence, sitting on the bathroom floor of a stall, cleaning up a large amount of water and dog food.
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.
That’s when the employee removed the trash bag from the canister and found the dog, the affidavit says.
The dog’s tags had Lawrence’s name and contact information on it, police said.
According to police, surveillance footage captured Lawrence entering the airport with her dog, and later exiting the bathroom without the dog and then later seen at her gate.
Authorities said the woman had been told she could not bring her dog aboard because she did not have the proper paperwork. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, dogs travelling from the U.S. to Colombia must be accompanied by a veterinarian-issued health certificate and a rabies vaccination certificate.
The dog was identified by its implanted microchip and a necropsy determined that Tywinn had been drowned. U.S. Customs and Border Protection also confirmed to detectives that the woman had boarded a flight to Bogota, Colombia, and then flew to Ecuador.
Lawrence was taken into custody Tuesday in Lake County, Fla., and charged with aggravated animal cruelty, a third-degree felony.
She’s since posted a US$5,000 bond, police confirmed.
Animal cruelty charges in Florida can result in up to five years in prison and a $10,000 fine.
— With files from The Associated Press
Bats take over this New Brunswick school.
Some students say they were even chased
Some New Brunswick students have been literally dodging bats — the flying creatures — while their high school deals with an infestation.
More than two dozen of the winged animals have been found inside Tobique Valley High School’s walls in Plaster Rock, N.B.
Grade 7 student Teagan O’Neil-Gamblin said he first spotted a bat last Friday, after a classmate came running into the classroom to escape.
“I went to the bathroom right when she came in, and I saw (the bat) in the corner of the hallway, and it was like upside down, sleeping-looking almost,” he said.
His mother, Crystal O’Neil, said another parent reached out to her and reported that her child was “chased down the hallway on Friday.”
“As a result, these sonar machines were turned on Friday and it kind of woke the bats out of hibernation,” said O’Neil.
“And it made them a little bit crazy. And then the building’s closed all weekend.”
By Monday, word was spreading about the bats.
“We went to first period and an announcement came that we needed to shut our doors because bats are roaming around.,” O’Neil-Gamblin said.
“We had to shut our doors throughout the whole entire day.”
He said at that point, staff told students 10 bats had been found.
By Tuesday, nerves were on end.
“Tuesday I was really hoping there was no school, but then there was school,” he said “A teacher came here and told us that the issue was gone. And if we have any questions to ask, then sort of talk about it in the hallways and stuff.”
His mother said students were told to stay inside classrooms on Thursday again, however, after yet another student was chased by a bat.
“I’m grateful that nobody’s been bit. But I think it’s only going to be a matter of time before somebody is going to be bit,” she said.
“Bats are known for many, many diseases. And it’s just not something I want my children to be touching or involved in in any way.”
She’s also concerned about air quality. Parents have heard there is guano, or bat feces, in the school’s attic.
“The ventilation is a huge, huge concern that most parents have,” she said.
“They’re concerned with these bats being awake — if they do have for diseases, if rabies is a problem, they’re concerned that children will be bit.”
In an emailed statement, Anglophone School District West confirmed about 28 bats have been removed.
“Many were found in areas away from the school population. We have engaged with third party companies to inspect and assess for the presence of guano and to provide abatement solutions to prevent future issues,” wrote spokesperson Paul MacIntosh.
MacIntosh also said the attic space has no impact on the school’s ventilation.
Meanwhile, the New Brunswick Teachers’ Federation told Global News it will “remain vigilant in monitoring the school district’s response” and said it is the employer’s “obligation” to protect the health and safety of all.
O’Neil said she and other parents are advocating for the school to be shut down and the problem properly dealt with.
She has two children who attend the school and don’t want to miss classes because the workload in high school is so demanding, but she’s worried about their concentration levels and health.
“Nobody is learning any math or English in the building when all this is going on, so it’s best to just shut it down, clean it up, and then everybody’s minds will be at ease and they can concentrate better in the building,” she said.
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