The 11-year-old Maltese, named Cookie, was spotted seated among sauces in the fridge, according to images posted by a customer that quickly went viral.
Busan Jungbu Police Station confirmed on Thursday it had received a report about the suspected abuse two days earlier. Officers said they visited the premises and determined the refrigerator temperature was “not very low”, but said an investigation would be launched to determine whether the case violated South Korea’s Animal Protection Act.
The dog’s owner, a woman in her 60s, claimed the air conditioning in her restaurant had failed during the extreme heat and that she placed Cookie inside temporarily to prevent overheating due to the pet’s existing heart condition.
She told local media outlets that her dog “had just been discharged from the animal hospital after a week of treatment for acute heart disease” and that the “vet told us that exposure to heat could be fatal”.
“It was my mistake to put Cookie in a fridge used to store sauces meant for human consumption. But I was so worried that something might happen to her in this heat – she’s like a daughter to me. I sincerely apologise to our customers,” she added.
