A negligent dog owner is facing criminal charges after a young pitbull was found frozen solid in Hartford, Connecticut, this week — during a severe cold spell in the area.

CBS News reports that a young pitbull was found frozen solid inside its doghouse on New Year’s Day. Hartford police told the news station that the dog was found in ghastly condition, malnourished and covered in feces, and that the animal may have been left outside for nearly a month when temperatures have been consistently below average.

The dog’s original owner is reportedly incarcerated on drug charges, and had arranged for family members to care for the pet.

A neighbor told WFSB that the dog had been kept in the basement of the home until a water pipe burst there. Police officers who responded to a call from a concerned witness said that the animal was  “not provided with any type of protective measures against the cold.”

The pitbull was reportedly under three years of age.

An investigation is ongoing, and police told WFSB that they plan to file animal cruelty charges against an unidentified suspect.

Watch the disturbing video of the discovery below:

[Feature image: USA Today video screenshot]