Owner of dog kept inside fridge denies abuse, says it was for dog's heart problems

11-year-old Maltese was supposedly kept in a fridge for short periods of time to prevent overheating

This photo posted on the message board of the online flea market platform Karrot (Danggeun) shows Cookie, an 11-year-old Maltese, being kept inside a refrigerator at a pizza restaurant in Busan. (Karrot)

A photo of a small dog inside a fridge at a restaurant sparked disputes over possible animal abuse.

The owner of the dog, however, claimed Thursday that the measure was taken to prevent the extreme heat from exacerbating the animal's heart issues.

Busan Jungbu Police Station received a report of potential animal abuse at around 8:10 p.m. on Tuesday, saying a dog was being kept inside a glass door refrigerator at a local pizza restaurant. Officials checked the site and said the temperature inside the fridge was "not very low," and are investigating the case to see if the dog's owner had violated the Animal Protection Act.

The dog's owner, a restaurant owner in her 60s, told local media outlets that she put the 11-year-old Maltese named Cookie inside the fridge to prevent her from overheating. She said Cookie has recently been treated for acute heart issues, and the vet had told her that extreme heat could be fatal to Cookie.

"The air conditioner at the restaurant broke down, so I put a cushion inside the refrigerator and had her (Cookie) sit on it for short periods of time," the owner said. She said the dog was like her daughter, and apologized for putting the dog inside a fridge that also contains sauces for customers.

Small dogs like the Maltese do tend to overheat due to their long, white hair, which traps heat easily and prevents it from dissipating effectively through perspiration. An excessively high body temperature could lead to heart strokes and other life-threatening medical conditions.

Animal rights groups are taking a more reserved approach toward the case after Cookie's conditions have been revealed.

"As of now, (the owner's) explanation suggests that she had no intention of abusing the dog, although she would need to be careful about keeping her pet inside a refrigerator," Sim In-seop, the head of the local animal rights group Live in Freedom and Equality, was quoted as saying.

Experts suggest cooling pads for dogs more susceptible to heat, rather than keeping them inside a refrigerator.