The Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) will start accepting applications from restaurants on May 18 for allowing dogs to enter their premises. It is expected that the permitted food premises could welcome their customers with dogs within July. The FEHD held the first briefing for the trade today (May 11), providing in-depth explanations of the new policy and relevant arrangements for allowing dogs in permitted restaurants. More than 150 members from the catering sector attended, the first briefing received an enthusiastic response.

     The briefing aims to explain to the catering trade the regulatory framework and application arrangements for allowing dogs in permitted restaurants. The Director of Food and Environmental Hygiene, Mr Donald Ng, and the Deputy Director of Food and Environmental Hygiene (Environmental Hygiene), Mr Arsene Yiu, answered questions from attendees during the question-and-answer session.

     At the briefing, representatives of the FEHD set out relevant application procedures, eligibility criteria, licensing conditions and matters that require restaurant operators' attention. In addition, representatives of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, the Institute of Shopping Centre Management, and the Hong Kong Federation of Insurers, were invited to share with trade members knowledge on interacting with animals, experience in managing pet-friendly malls and matters requiring attention in relation to insurance.

     A spokesman for the FEHD said, "We expect to help the catering trade to understand the application requirements through the briefing, and to get prepared for the upcoming implementation of the new measures in advance."

     The spokesman reminded that, except for guide dogs and working dogs, restaurants must first apply to the FEHD and obtain permission before allowing dogs to enter their premises.

     The FEHD will hold three other briefing sessions for the trade tomorrow (May 12) and on May 13 and 28. Restaurant operators who are unable to attend in person and other interested parties may watch the live broadcast via the FEHD's Facebook page from 2.30pm to 5pm on the days of the briefing sessions, which will later be uploaded to the FEHD's dedicated webpage (www.fehd.gov.hk/english/licensing/dog_restaurants/index.html).

     Information including licence conditions and frequently asked questions has been uploaded to the FEHD's dedicated webpage today. After gauging the views of trade members, the FEHD will release a set of Guidelines of Good Practice and Behaviour later for reference by restaurant operators and members of the public. The FEHD has set up two dedicated hotlines (2867 5912 and 2867 2836), through which enquiries about the applications can be made from 9am to 5pm from Monday to Friday (excluding public holidays).

Ends/Monday, May 11, 2026
Issued at HKT 20:10

NNNN