PORTER, Ind. -- One county west of La Porte, in Porter, one dog is a little warmer today after being found in the uncovered bed of a pickup truck on U.S. 20 at around 1:45 a.m. on Thursday. 

A Porter Police Officer patrolling the area of U.S. 20 and I-94 noticed the large canine riding in the exposed bed of a Toyota Tacoma pickup truck and initiated a traffic stop to assess the situation.

From speaking to the driver and owner of the German Shepherd mix, Sergeant Thomas Blythe learned the dog was named Chica.

"The driver, a Griffith man, stated he was traveling back to Griffith from Chesterton but was quick to state he intended to stay off the expressway due to Chica being in the back," the PPD said.  "Sergeant Blythe noted that Chica had ice formed in her whiskers and she didn’t hesitate to jump inside a warm Porter Police vehicle. He also observed there was more than adequate room inside the pickup truck to have accommodated Chica being in the cab rather than the truck bed."

The temperature was reportedly nine degrees at the time of the stop, and a Weather.com calculation indicated the real feel was -19 degrees at 55 MPH for Chica.

Porter County Animal Control was contacted and took custody of Chica at the scene.

"Porter Police would like to remind pet owners that extreme cold is just as dangerous as extreme heat to canines and other domestic animals," PPD said.

"We encourage all pet owners to treat these weather conditions seriously, make good decisions, and prevent tragedies."

Criminal charges are pending against the Griffith man, whose name will not be released until formal charges are made.