The Hong Kong government is considering allowing a maximum of two dogs per diner into restaurants licenced under a new pet-friendly policy, with the permits possibly being granted only to larger premises at the outset.
A day after authorities told lawmakers they had no intention to set limits on the number of dogs allowed into restaurants per customer, Secretary for the Environment and Ecology Tse Chin-wan said the government was reconsidering after receiving further feedback.
“We previously did not focus on this matter, but we received a lot of feedback saying that one principle is that diners must control their dogs … If a dog bites someone, it is definitely the owner’s responsibility,” he told a radio show.
“If a diner brings too many dogs, we also feel it may not be easy to control. I expect that two is the maximum. We will determine the exact number after consulting experts.”
Tse said the government was also considering whether to grant the licence only to larger eateries in the initial stage of implementation.
“We’ve heard many opinions suggesting that very small restaurants might not be suitable if it results in everyone being crammed together when dogs are present,” Tse said.
“We will discuss with industry stakeholders and experts to determine a reasonable threshold [on the floor area] that balances the needs of all parties.”
