Michael Lance Lott, 44, of Pevely has been charged for allegedly killing a puppy by throwing the animal out of a third-story window at the WoodSpring Suites hotel, 888 Arnold Commons Drive, in Arnold, court records show.
The Jefferson County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office charged Lott on March 15 with first-degree harassment, a class E felony punishable by up to four years in prison; animal abuse, a class A misdemeanor that carries a penalty up to one year in jail and a fine of up to $2,000; and second-degree property damage, a class B misdemeanor punishable by up to six months in jail and a fine up to $1,000, according to court documents.
Lott had posted a $25,000 cash-only bond and was not in custody on Tuesday, March 19, court records show.
According to the probable-cause statement in the case, Lott was arguing with a woman who owned the 3-month-old pit bull named Bitty, and Lott allegedly grabbed the sleeping puppy off the owner’s lap and threw it out the window to its death on Oct. 7, 2023. A witness outside the hotel saw the puppy land in the parking lot.
Lott “showed no hesitation, second thought or apprehension prior to throwing an innocent 3-month-old puppy out of the third-story window of a hotel,” the report said.
He already was facing felony charges in Jefferson County at the time of the puppy’s death. In February, he was charged with felony stealing following arrests in June 2023 in Festus and August 2023 in Herculaneum. He is scheduled to appear in court on April 1 for the stealing charges, court records show.
Lott is a convicted felon with arrests dating back to 1997. He has been sentenced to prison for stealing, receiving stolen property, possession of a controlled substance, tampering with a motor vehicle and possession of a firearm, according to court documents.