New dog-friendly restaurant policy comes into force

Hong Kong's new dog-friendly restaurant arrangement officially comes into effect today.

The first batch of over 940 food premises having secured a license are now allowed to admit pet dogs.

Secretary for Environment and Ecology Tse Chin-wan reveals the new arrangement has been running smoothly and will be further refined.

On the first day of the new arrangement, some participating restaurants have displayed the official Food and Environmental Hygiene Department signs at their entrances, allowing customers to dine with their pet dogs in designated areas.

A small number of pet owners visited on the first day.

This pet owner says he is satisfied he can finally bring dogs in without any uncertainty, so that both people and dogs can enjoy the comfort of indoors.

This restaurant owner says he wishes to familiarise himself with the new procedures before expecting more pet owners to visit over the weekend.

Some diners welcome the initiative.

However, some express concerns over potential issues, like hygiene.

A customer says, "Dogs can live with human beings in harmony. It's a good policy."

This patron says she is allergic to dogs, and worries they might shed furs, which could affect the dining environment.

During the one-month transition period, the FEHD will deploy a dedicated team of 90 officers to set up inspections and assist the trade in adapting to the new arrangement.

Secretary for Environment and Ecology Tse Chin-wan and others officials visited the West Kowloon Cultural District this afternoon.

He says initial observations showed the arrangement has been running smoothly and would be refined where necessary.

He says the government plans to open applications for the next phase as early as six months from now. If the scheme proves successful, there willable no limit on the number of restaurants that may apply.

Government officials say the new initiative aims to make public spaces more pet-friendly while creating new business opportunities for the catering industry.

Whether it can be sustained in the long run will depend on the reaction of all the stakeholders involved.