Applications now open for restaurants to allow dogs inside
發佈日期: 2026-05-18 23:22
TVB News
Restaurants in Hong Kong can now apply for a license that allows dogs inside.
The first batch of permission is expected to be granted in mid-June and the scheme will be launched in July.
Samantha Li speaks with some restaurant owners who are getting ready to welcome four-legged friends.
Paws, strollers and wagging tails -- this is a typical weekday scene at a pet-friendly shopping mall in Kai Tak.
However, when entering shops or non-pet zones of the mall, dogs must be kept inside a bag or stroller.
Currently, owners can only sit in outdoors with their dogs.
But by July, they can officially enter restaurant premises.
Starting today, online applications for the licence has opened for eateries.
Besides filling out basic information, applicants are required to confirm the restaurant has a floor area of at least 20 square metres, that the property or mall allows dogs, and it is not a hotpot or barbecue restaurant.
The government offers a maximum quota of 1,000 restaurants in the first phase.
Places will be allocated by ballot if the number exceeds the quota.
Edward Tsang, who owns this restaurant in Kai Tak, notes they have already submitted their application this morning.
He plans to allocate two-thirds of the dinning area to pets,separating big and small dogs from patrons who might be afraid.
Extra staff will also be hired, and vacuums will be bought to keep the eatery clean and hygienic.
For many pet owners, this is great news.
Pet owner Phoebe said, "some people in Hong Kong are afraid of dogs or they don't like dogs. If they bark, you can see them giving you the eyes that they don't like. Sometimes I feel stressful to bring them outside. So when it is legal to eat inside the restaurants, and I'll feel OK, it's your problem that you don't like dogs."
Another dog owner Ms. Wong says summer is too hot for pets outside, and being able to go inside keeps them safe from running around.
The Food and Environmental Hygiene Department will continue to organise briefing sessions in the future to inform restaurant operators and other interested parties on the application procedures and key requirements after obtaining the license.
