At a pet shop in Gangneung, a 3-month old Maltese died after a woman threw it on the ground.

The woman purchased the Maltese from the pet shop but requested a refund after she found the puppy eating its own waste. The woman, who believed she was scammed by the pet shop owner with an ill puppy, asked for a refund over the phone. The owner firmly rejected her request and got angry when the woman accused him of a scam. Despite the firm rejection, the woman and her husband went to the shop and once again asked for a refund. The owner rejected and said, "I cannot give you a refund no matter what."

In a phone interview with Yonhap News, the woman explained, "The owner said he could give me a refund but he didn't want to because he was upset (with me), so I threw it out of anger. I didn't know it would actually die."

She continued, "The next day, I calmed down and I sent a lengthy text message, apologizing to the owner and the puppy. I was shocked to hear the puppy has died. I'm very apologetic to the puppy and I'm regretful of my actions. I don't think I could forgive myself. I admit I've done something worthy of criticism. I don't want to blow things up anymore. I will reflect on my actions for the rest of my life and will volunteer at stray dog shelters."