appConfigEntityId

bodyType

customContents

entityId

entityUuid

articlePageQuery

filter

article

articleBaseAdvertisingInfoArticle

articleListArticle

articleSeoArticle

hooksArticleAcknowledgementGateOverlayArticle

hooksTrackPageViewArticle

hooksContentInterestArticle

articleLinkingDataContent

hooksAmpRedirectArticle

articleSchemaContent

hooksArticlePageAdvertisementConfigArticle

liveArticle

appConfig

advertZone

sentiment

contentLock

topics

types

sections

paywallTypes

createdDate

publishedDate

sponsorType

urlAlias

moreOnThisArticles

sectionsV2

commentCount

authorLocations

authors

corrections

displaySlideShow

multimediaEmbed

printHeadline

seriesContainer

articleSpeeches

socialHeadline

headline

images

flag

firstTopic

glossary

flattenTypeIds

image

relatedLinks

relatedNewsletters

__typename

sponsor

pdfFiles

seriesReverseOrder

series

disableOffPlatformContent

published

updatedDate

summary

subHeadline

body

keywords

readingTime

customTimezone

liveContents

json

SCMP Reporter

Hong Kong is one of the most pet-unfriendly cities in the world.  The vast majority of parks and beaches are off-limits, and dogs are banned in public housing estates.
But there are a  few rays of light on the serviced apartment front. Boutique operators are starting to realise there's a niche to be filled for Hongkongers who have pets and need temporary housing - when they're renovating their own home, for instance, or  between apartments.
S-Residence, at 5-7 Catchick Street in Kennedy Town, allows small dogs, cats, birds, turtles and other more manageable pets. It vets  owners to make sure their animals  are well-trained, but otherwise it is happy to have pets to stay.
'I think there is a need in this market,' says Shing Dai-kung, manager at S-Residence.  'Not everybody has a pet, but those  who do really  care for them.  For us, it's more  providing a service to make them happy.'
Chi Residences also accepts pets at its property at 120 Connaught Road West in Sheung Wan. 
Guests  get a copy of the Chi pet guide, a pamphlet with contact details for vets, pet stores and  charities, and tips on keeping pets in Hong Kong, according to Pilar Morais,  the company's pet-loving chief executive.    
'It's easy to waste a lot of time searching online and in directories, so the idea was to provide a tried and tested guide with some of our favourite places and handy information for raising pets,' she says.   
Chi and S-Residences say 5  to 10  per cent of  inquiries  come from pet owners.  
At S-Residence, about 10  to 20  per cent of  tenants keep pets. The 14 apartments are relatively small, with a net area of 550 sqft, so bigger animals can't  be accommodated.  
Belcher Bay Park,  where many Kennedy Town residents walk their animals,  is across the street  and a supplies store, Pet Pet,  has opened on the ground floor of the S-Residence block.  
There's no  charge for keeping a pet at S-Residence, but any extra repairs or cleaning costs are taken out of the security deposit. 
The serviced apartments range from HK$18,000 to HK$25,000 per month, depending  on their level  in the seven-storey building  and the length of their lease.
Shing admits that some Hongkongers are terrified by animals, and the occasional bark has put off prospective renters.    
'If you live in Kennedy Town, you can't be afraid of dogs because there are so many around here,' Shing says.
Chi only allows pets at the Connaught Road property, and charges a fee to cover  additional cleaning. It says its 1,050 sqft units,  which rent for HK$29,600 to HK$45,000 per month, are big enough even for large dogs. An added bonus is that each unit has a private balcony.
The motivation for having pets to stay grew out of what the company owners felt they would like to see in a serviced apartment if they were on  the road.
'As pet owners ourselves, we know how valuable 'fur kids' are to the family, and when they stay with us, we want to ensure that the whole family feels at home,' Morais says.  
'As a family with 13 animals, we would like to think that if we were to relocate or travel with our 'fur kids' that we would be able to find similar services and information that is pet-friendly to make our stay more comfortable.'



Making 'fur kids' part of the family