Dog freezes to death outside, owners to be charged with animal cruelty: Sheriff's office

— -- After a dog froze to death outside in a pet house with no insulation, its owners will be charged with animal cruelty, according to Ohio officials.

The pup was found "frozen to death due to the severe cold weather," the Butler County Sheriff's Office said in a statement Wednesday.

"Sheriff [Richard] Jones would like to remind everyone that freezing to death is a horrible way for an animal to die," the statement added, urging families unable to care for their pets in extreme temperatures to contact the sheriff's office for help.

The dog's owners, who were not named, will specifically be charged with cruelty to a companion animal, according to the sheriff's office.

"Please do not leave your pets outside in the cold," the sheriff's office added on Facebook.

Nearly two-thirds of the United States are in the grips of a deep freeze and it's not letting up anytime soon, with forecasts warning the Northeast should brace for the coldest air of the season.

Friday morning wind chills could reach minus 8 degrees in New York City and minus 14 degrees in Minneapolis.