A former St. Charles County bailiff is pleading guilty to fatally shooting a woman’s dog in 2022.

According to court records, Ryan Kuehner pleaded guilty to one count of second-degree property damage, which is a lesser charge than what had originally been listed as animal abuse.

Kuehner worked at the St. Charles County Courthouse as a County bailiff from 2020 to 2022, but resigned after St. Charles County Sheriff Scott Lewis launched a disciplinary inquiry against him.

The dog, Apollo, was a 3-year-old mastiff mix trained emotional support animal, who worked to help rehab horses who had undergone surgery.

Kuehner will spend the next two years on probation and must complete anger management classes, serve 100 hours of community service at a no-kill animal shelter and surrender his Peace Officer certificate.