Hong Kong eateries welcome dogs to promote pet-friendly society
Hong Kong, July 10: Hong Kong dog owners and their four-legged friends have gained new freedoms after the city relaxed a decades-old rule, allowing the pets to join them at eateries.
Since 1994, only guide dogs and those performing statutory duties were allowed in restaurants under the city’s food business regulation. But the policy change aimed at promoting a pet-friendly culture kicked in Thursday, covering over 900 approved restaurants in the measure’s first phase.
It is the city’s latest step toward building an animal-friendly society. Hong Kong now allows pets on certain ferry routes and some metro trains serving rural areas, and public hospitals have started permitting pet visits for palliative care patients.
Dog owners hope to promote inclusiveness
At Wan Land Cafe, owner Kelvin Chan proudly put up a poster saying his establishment can welcome dogs. Previously, dogs were only allowed in its outdoor area, making it tough for the animals during the hot and humid Hong Kong summer.
Chan doesn’t think the new policy will bring a spike in business, but as a dog owner himself, he hopes that it will cultivate a more pet-friendly society. He hopes that responsible pet owners in restaurants and other public spaces will eventually help nonpet lovers warm up to the idea and understand that being inclusive of pets is a progressive move.
Franco Li, a regular at this cafe, said his Shiba, named Piku, is happy to have embraced a new way of living that allows it to join Li around the dining table and play with other dog friends.
Some dogs learned ‘dining etiquette’
To prepare for the change, some dog owners have been taking their pets to “dog dining etiquette workshops.” Heyton Lee, a dog trainer for 19 years, was particularly busy ahead of the new measure. His two-hour programme that simulated a restaurant setting started with dog owners walking around the restaurant to encourage their pets to stay calm and not get overly-excited when they see their dog friends. Lee also demonstrated some hand signs which are commonly used to instruct dogs to behave. The main goal was to teach dogs to be calm and show them how to take part in human society. For example, helping them understand that when people walk past them, the humans do not intend to kick them, he said. (AP)
