Hong Kong's new policy allowing dogs into designated restaurants has gotten off to a promising start, with authorities reporting high compliance rates and expressing confidence that early hiccups will fade once diners and eateries adjust to the change.

This confidence was supported by data from the first two weeks of the scheme, during which the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department conducted around 14,000 inspections – issuing 70 verbal warnings and receiving 65 complaints.

Speaking on an RTHK radio programme, Secretary for Environment and Ecology Tse Chin-wan said the verbal warnings were mainly for two reasons: unclear signages at restaurant entrances and dog owners failing to properly restrain their pets.

He noted that the number of verbal warnings and complaints are not particularly high relative to the overall figures, adding that law changes inevitably involve an adjustment period.

"Overall, we can see that the compliance situation is acceptable, and it's actually gradually improving," Tse said.

"In the first week, we saw more issues, but in the second week, there were fewer. So we believe that as we go through this adjustment period, things will slowly get better."

Tse outlined a two-pronged approach to enforcement and education.

"On the one hand, if our colleagues spot any problems, we will definitely issue a warning. If it's a genuine violation of the law, we will initiate prosecutions," he said.

"On the other hand, we are also taking this opportunity to do some publicity and education work to help restaurants think about how they can stay compliant and follow the rules."

Under the first phase of the initiative, a quota of 1,000 has been set for restaurants, with more than 940 approvals already made.

However, Tse said, 31 establishments have since withdrawn from the scheme, mainly due to low customer acceptance.

He urged restaurants to carefully evaluate their own positioning and potential clientele base before signing up.

"It's not really about saying whether a certain type of restaurant or eatery is considered suitable or unsuitable. The most important thing is the restaurant's own positioning and its customer base," Tse said.

"If a lot of its customers are pet owners, and there are many people in the area walking their dogs, then if you operate there, your chances of success are very high.

"But if that's not the case – if you open a place right next to a wet market, where diners come in at a rush, grab a bite, and leave quickly, and table turnover is high – if you try to do this scheme there, the chances of failure are pretty high."

Looking ahead, Tse said the government would review the response to the first phase before shaping the second, which could include adjustments to the quota and the introduction of new requirements.




Edited by Azam Khan