Five burglary suspects face animal cruelty charges for placing a Chihuahua in the deep freeze while ransacking a house in Lancaster, N.Y.

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Police say the five, four of them juveniles, apparently were annoyed by the dog's barking and put her in the freezer to silence her, The New York Daily News reports.

Hours later little Roxy was discovered barely alive by sheriff's deputies who had been alerted to the break-in by a neighbor.

Owner Kimberly Holzer, whose husband is stationed in Afghanistan with the U.S. Air Force, was at work at the time and asked that someone check on Roxy when she was told of the burglary.

On a whim, Deputy Melissa Sullivan decided to check a large freezer and discovered the tiny dog barely alive.

Police later nabbed the suspects and booked them on suspicion of animal cruelty charges in addition to burglary and receiving stolen property.