Sadistic burglars had broken into the home of Kimberly Holzer of Lancaster, California, in January of 2007. The team of thieves were annoyed by Roxy the chihuahua, who was yapping relentlessly at their intrusion and ransacking of the house. So they scooped up the fierce little home defender and put her in the freezer.

A neighbor saw the youths jump the back fence with stolen stuff, and called the sheriff's station. When Roxy could not be found, it was assumed she ran away while the burglars had the doors open.

Then on a mere whim that she could not afterward explain, Deputy Melissa Sullivan opened the large freezer, and there was Roxy barely able to move. She'd been in the freezer for at least ninety minutes, and clearly couldn't've lasted another half hour. She was rushed to a veterinararian and soon made a full recovery.

Kimberly was pregnant with twins; and the burglars had for no earthly reason destroyed about $600 worth of brand new maternity clothes by urinating all over them. Her husband was in the Air Force deployed to Afghanistan.

The team of burglars -- four juveniles and one adult, Devean Irvin, 20 -- were arrested in a nearby house and booked on charges of animal cruelty, breaking and entering, and receiving stolen goods. Thousands of dollars worth of stolen property were recovered.

Kimberly said that two-year-old Roxy remained traumatized. The normally outgoing dog now stuck close to her and was afraid of strangers. "Everything in my house, whatever's damaged, whatever's lost, is stupid replaceable stuff, but she's not."

The sheriff's office was moved by the pregnant military's wife trauma and pulled together $800 from deputies and employees to give to Kimberly, together with a giftbag of toys for Roxy.

"The generosity in the Sheriff's Department has been amazing," said Kimberly. "And it's not just them. A lot of people have helped." Volunteers from Edwards Airforce Base came by to fix the broken door, and a San Fernando Valley security company put in a security system for free.

Holding shivering Roxy close, and with tears streaming down her face, Kimberly said, "They probably just wanted to shut her up, but it boggles my mind that they would throw an animal into a freezer."