Emaciated dog left outside froze to death before being thrown in trash can, officials say

The dog was found covered in trash. A dirty towel hanging in the doghouse doorway was all that blocked the dangerously low cold temperatures, Indianapolis Animal Care Services said.

"The small area where the dog spent its last hours had a frozen water bowl and gave you a glimmer of the painful days and nights it suffered before freezing to the ground of its doghouse," officials wrote on social media.

Animal officials said their investigation could lead to criminal charges.