Brunch with your bichon frise? Some dog owners say pet dining off to ruff start

Dog owners have welcomed Hong Kong’s first wave of pet-friendly restaurants, but some have been disappointed by restrictive rules, confused staff and limited space, with one saying only half of her pet stroller could fit within the designated seating area. After months of anticipation, the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department granted an initial 1,000 permits by lottery in June, and 940 restaurants opened their doors to dogs on July 9. Several businesses pulled out of the scheme days later, saying they needed more time to prepare, while others joined, taking the total to 971 as of Friday. However, some operators have drawn criticism, with about 20 complaints filed with the department as of Monday. The department also revealed that a restaurant in Tsuen Wan had been prosecuted for allowing dogs onto its premises without the required permit, in the first such legal action since the scheme started. Leona Li, who owns a five-year-old male bichon frise, described difficulties booking restaurants on the approved list. She wanted to celebrate a family member’s birthday on the first day of the scheme and contacted Jade Garden in Yuen Long. But she was informed that the restaurant’s management would not decide whether to admit dogs until a meeting later that day. She turned to Peking Garden, also in Yuen Long, which accepted her booking. But when she inspected the restaurant on July 8, she found that her table was situated just inside a decorative screen, accessible only via two narrow openings blocked by large flower planters. Although staff promised to remove the flowers the next day to provide access, they initially wanted Li to leave the stroller in the gap, she said. Ultimately, staff said only half of the stroller would be allowed inside, according to Li. She then decided against eating at the venue. When an SCMP reporter called Peking Garden on Thursday, staff said the business was “not ready” to welcome dogs. Maxim’s Chinese Cuisine, which operates the two restaurants, said that it supported the government’s initiative and was preparing for five of its locations to take part, including Yuen Long’s Peking Garden and Jade Garden. “We understand the customer’s concerns,” the company said. “While the policy officially took effect on that date, participating restaurants still need to complete the necessary preparatory work, including venue-specific arrangements, staff briefings and operational protocols, before the policy can be fully implemented.” Li’s visit to Choubo Kissaten in a Tsim Sha Tsui shopping centre led to a similar result. Pet seating had been cordoned off with retractable belt barriers outside the restaurant, but staff stopped her from bringing her stroller into the area. She said staff had explained that her dog could not touch the table, and the belt barrier had ended up lodged in the middle of the stroller. However, when an SCMP reporter called the restaurant on Friday, staff said that pet strollers were allowed inside, as long as they met the government’s guidelines. Li said: “Dog owners just want the restaurant to let the dog stay by our side while we eat.” She said she normally brought water and treats for her dog and did not expect the kitchen to provide anything for it. Another dog owner, Gionnie Wong, said that she had visited four or five pet-friendly restaurants and dessert shops, but staff at some venues were unfamiliar with the government’s regulations. Wong said that a server told her to hold her dog’s leash throughout the meal, even though the pet remained in its stroller. According to the department’s guidelines, a dog in a carrier or stroller should be leashed at all times, but the lead can be either held by an adult or tied to a fixture, an option the server did not mention. “I think restaurant owners also have a responsibility to brief their staff properly,” Wong said. The layout of several restaurants, particularly smaller premises such as dessert parlours, left little room to accommodate a dog because of narrow aisles and furniture, she added. Wong suggested that the government should check whether restaurants had enough space to accommodate dogs before issuing the permits. She said that the public’s attitude towards dogs and understanding of how they behaved had not caught up with the scheme itself. “I think there’s still a gap between dog owners and the public in their expectations, and people’s understanding of dogs is stuck in the past,” she said. Wong pointed to online comments about some village dogs roaming free and attacking people, but cautioned that those incidents might have happened years ago. Many owners now treated their dogs like family, she said. Despite the initial friction, Wong said she intended to continue dining out with her dog, citing the convenience of eating right after a walk rather than returning home first. “Some restaurants are really pet-friendly, and we cannot ignore those who have prepared properly,” she said. Click here for a list of food premises with dog-entry permits.

Brunch with your bichon frise? Some dog owners say pet dining off to ruff start

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Residents whose pets are part of their daily routine can now take them to more than 900 restaurants, but not all are welcoming, some owners say

Residents whose pets are part of their daily routine can now take them to more than 900 restaurants, but not all are welcoming, some owners say