The Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) will start accepting applications from restaurants tomorrow (May 18) to allow dogs to enter their premises. It is expected that the permitted food premises will welcome their customers with dogs within July. The application process is simple. Restaurants interested in applying for the dog-admission permission may submit their applications, starting from 10 am tomorrow, electronically through the FEHD's dedicated webpage (www.fehd.gov.hk/english/licensing/dog_restaurants/index.html). The application period will end on June 8.
A quota of not more than 1,000 restaurants is set for the first phase of application. If more than 1,000 applications are received, allocation will be made by balloting. For safety considerations, applications from hotpot restaurants and barbecue restaurants (including teppanyaki and Korean barbecue) will not be accepted, and only applications from restaurants with an area larger than 20 square metres will be considered. Apart from the above restrictions, all restaurants with a full licence may apply for the dog-admission permission.
The first batch of permission is expected to be granted in mid-June. To allow sufficient time for operational preparation by the trade, the FEHD will specify a date in July from which dogs will be allowed to enter permitted food premises. The exact date will be announced in due course. No person shall bring any dog onto any food premises prior to that date (except for guide dogs and working dogs).
To assist the catering trade in understanding the application requirements in advance, and get prepared for the upcoming implementation of the new measures, the FEHD held three briefing sessions for the trade from May 11 to 13. Representatives of the FEHD have 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.
More than 360 members from the catering sector attended the three briefing sessions, and over 4,600 viewers watched the live broadcasts via the FEHD's Facebook page. The briefings received an enthusiastic response. Representatives of the FEHD also answered questions from attendees at the question-and-answer sessions. The department will hold the fourth briefing session for the trade on May 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 2.30 pm to 5 pm on the day of the briefing session, which will later be uploaded to the FEHD's dedicated webpage.
Information on allowing dogs to enter permitted restaurants, including licence conditions and frequently asked questions, has been uploaded to the FEHD's dedicated webpage. The FEHD will also 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 9 am to 5 pm from Monday to Friday (excluding public holidays).
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