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Animal welfare in Hong Kong
Hong KongSociety

Restaurants slam dog-friendly licence policy over outdoor dining restrictions

Business operators in Happy Valley and Kai Tak without licences complain of being forced to turn away dog owners from outdoor seating areas

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Patrons dine with their dog at a restaurant in the West Kowloon Cultural District. Photo: Sam Tsang
The Happy Valley Bar & Grill has been forced to stop accepting pets in its outdoor seating area. Photo: Wynna Wong
Approved venues have been allowed to admit dogs since July 9. Photo: Sam Tsang
Wynna Wong
Hong Kong restaurant operators have hit out at a scheme requiring them to have permits to run dog-friendly venues, saying they had already been allowing pets in their outdoor seating areas but were now barred from doing so without the new licence.

Businesses said they had been forced to turn away dog owners who were previously welcomed, even as the government promoted the scheme to make the city more pet-friendly and support the struggling food and drink industry.

“The government is trying to make all the restaurants and bars pet-friendly, but actually, it’s working the other way,” said Bijay Subba, manager of the Happy Valley Bar & Grill.

He said the restaurant in Happy Valley, a traditionally pet-friendly neighbourhood, had long allowed customers to bring dogs if they dined in its outdoor seating area.

But the venue halted the policy after Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) officers told staff that dogs were no longer permitted without official approval under the new scheme, Subba said.

“It has hampered our business,” he said, noting that many residents in the neighbourhood owned dogs and often stopped by while walking their pets.

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