Chilly dog: pet kept in fridge sparks heated debate in South Korea
The dog’s owner said she was worried about her elderly pet’s health amid the country’s record-breaking heatwave
A photo of an elderly dog resting inside a glass-door refrigerator at a pizza restaurant in Busan has triggered a national outcry and a police investigation into potential animal abuse, as authorities weigh whether the act was cruelty or a desperate response to South Korea’s record-breaking heatwave.
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.
South Korea is enduring one of its most intense summers in recent memory, with Seoul recording 37.8 degrees Celsius (100.4 degrees Fahrenheit) in early July and enduring 22 consecutive “tropical nights” where temperatures never dipped below 25 degrees. The country has already recorded more than 1 million heat-related livestock deaths, according to the Ministry of Agriculture.
In this context, animal rights groups have responded with caution. Sim In-seop, head of the animal welfare group Live in Freedom and Equality, told JoongAng Ilbo: “To determine whether animal abuse occurred, investigators must assess whether the owner had intent to cause harm. Based on her explanation so far, it does not appear there was malicious intent – but placing a dog in a refrigerator is certainly something that requires greater caution.”
However, the NGO Care (Coexistence of Animal Rights on Earth) issued a sterner warning after sharing the photo on its Instagram account.
“Even if she meant well, such behaviour can be deadly if the animal is ever forgotten,” it said, adding that Cookie had been seen “trembling” in the fridge. “Today, it might be a way to escape the heat. Tomorrow, it could be a freezer that takes a life.”
South Korea’s government has expanded emergency measures in response to the heatwave, opening cooling shelters for vulnerable groups and offering subsidies to farms hit by heat damage. Hospitals have reported a surge in heatstroke cases, with at least 11 deaths linked to extreme temperatures.
Unhandled type: inline-plus-widget {“type”:”inline-plus-widget”}
While the country has strengthened its Animal Protection Act in recent years, critics say enforcement remains patchy. A landmark dog-meat ban passed in 2024 reflects shifting public attitudes, but high-profile cases such as Cookie’s continue to test the boundaries of the law.
