Calls for clear licensing rules if dogs allowed into Hong Kong restaurants
City leader’s policy address included pledge to lift ban on pet dogs inside restaurants, but business owners say many details will need to be worked out
The restaurant industry and pet owners have urged the government to map out clear licensing rules, especially on hygiene, as Hong Kong prepares to lift a 30-year-old ban on dogs in eateries.
Simon Wong Kit-lung, chairman of the LH Group of restaurants and a dog owner, said the licence should explicitly define even basic points to avoid conflict.
He said the primary responsibility for managing dogs should lie with the owners. They should have legal responsibility for their pets’ actions, he added.
“Owners also need to ask themselves whether their dog is suitable to be taken to a restaurant,” he said, adding that not all pets should be in a restaurant environment with other animals.
Wong said the licence should include a requirement that dogs could not urinate or defecate in the restaurant and owners needed to be the ones to clean up in the event of any accidents. He also suggested eateries should consider separate zones for regular diners and owners with their dogs.