Dog shivering in refrigerator? ”Worried about its illness getting worse” - surprising circumstances = Korea

A restaurant in Busan, South Korea, is facing allegations of animal cruelty after a live dog was placed in a running refrigerator. The owner said, "The air conditioner was broken, so I was worried that my chronic illness would worsen."
According to Busan Central Police Station, a report of suspected animal cruelty was received at around 8:10 pm on the 29th.
The report said a pet dog was kept in the bottom shelf of a refrigerator at a pizza shop.
The police said, "When we checked the scene, the temperature in the refrigerator was not extremely low," but added, "The owner was told,
"We plan to investigate whether there was any violation of the Animal Protection Act," the organization said. On the 30th, the animal protection group Care posted a photo on Instagram of a dog sitting in the refrigerator of a pizza restaurant in Busan.
The photo was taken by a visitor to the store and uploaded to the internet, where it spread. Care said, "A Maltese dog was found locked in a refrigerator and shivering.
"It's hard to believe, but it was a commercial refrigerator that contained ingredients as well," he said, adding, "It was placed among the pizza ingredients along with a small cushion. It may have been intended to protect the pizza from the heat."
However, the dog was reportedly shaking. As the issue spread, the owner stepped in to explain, saying, "He's a dog that we've raised for 11 years and is like a family member. We run a store together as a couple.
"My dog Cookie was recently admitted to a veterinary hospital for a week for acute heart disease and has been receiving treatment since then, but she has finally been released," he explained.
"The hospital told us that heat is deadly to Cookie, but the air conditioner in the store broke, so we temporarily put a cushion on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator and
"Even if the intention was to temporarily avoid the heat, if that habit is repeated and forgotten even just once,
The baby may quietly die from hypothermia or respiratory distress inside the refrigerator." He also pointed out, "There are serious food safety issues. The fact that animals and food are in the same space is a major problem.
"It was my mistake to put the cookies in the refrigerator where we keep sauces that humans eat," he said.
"In the scorching heat, I was preoccupied with the thought that Cookie, who is like a daughter to me, might become ill. I apologize to our customers," he said, bowing his head.
Experts say that elderly dogs with acute heart disease are particularly susceptible to the recent heatwaves.
He emphasized that the air conditioner is weak and requires special care, but he also advised that even if the air conditioner is broken, it is better to use a cooling pad or something similar rather than a refrigerator.