Dogs allowed to enter permitted food premises from 9 July

The Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) announced today (12/6) that dogs will be allowed to enter permitted food premises starting from 9 July. The FEHD conducted an open balloting today and allocated 1,000 quotas for allowing dogs to enter food premises according to the ballot result.The first 1,000 applications in the sequence drawn were considered successful, while the remaining ones were placed on a waiting list.

The 1,000 successful food premises are located in various districts of Hong Kong, Kowloon, and the New Territories. The district distribution and restaurant category of these food premises are shown below.

A spokesman for the FEHD said, “The FEHD will deploy dedicated officers to visit successful food premises on 16 and 17 June to deliver Approval Letters and brief their operators on the statutory requirements, licence conditions and other compliance arrangements. Successful applicants must pay a fee of $140, on or before 24 June, to amend their licences to include this permission. If applicants fail to complete the procedures within the specific period, or give up the eligibility for other reasons, the FEHD will arrange other applicants on the waiting list to fill the vacancies according to the sequential order from the ballot result.”

Applicants who have completed the procedures and obtained formal approval will be given designated A3-sized signages, which are required to be displayed at a conspicuous place at the main entrances of the food premises from 9 July to facilitate identification by members of the public. The FEHD will upload the names and addresses of the permitted food premises, along with the Notes to Customers devised and provided by the food premises (if any), onto the dedicated webpage later this month for public search and viewing.

The FEHD advises that permitted food premises should make adequate preparations for allowing dogs to enter, including planning dining areas, installing facilities, training staff, and contacting insurance companies. In addition, co-operation among customers bringing dogs and other members of the public is also crucial. The FEHD has earlier released the Guidelines on Good Practices and Behaviour, covering points to note for restaurant operators, and both customers bringing dogs and those without dogs. The FEHD encourages different parties to refer to the Guidelines, fulfil their responsibilities, and respect one another, thereby promoting pet inclusivity.

The FEHD accepted applications from restaurants between 18 May and 8 June for allowing dogs to enter their premises, and received a total of 2,205.