Hong Kong will relax its regulation prohibiting dogs in restaurants, allowing them in over 900 approved establishments starting July 9, 2026. The policy change comes with new safety and hygiene conditions for participating eateries.

Establishments operating under the new measure must ensure dogs are kept off tables and do not consume food directly from reusable human utensils. Dogs must be secured on a leash not exceeding 1.5 meters, held by an adult, or tied to a fixture. Additionally, dogs classified by government standards as "fighting breed" are not permitted, and restaurants may not cook food for dogs, though they can offer prepackaged pet food.

For example, the dim sum restaurant Old Fung Teahouse invested more than 10,000 Hong Kong dollars in preparation for the new rule. This included installing an air purifier and setting up partitions to designate an area for tables serving pet owners. Old Fung Teahouse also provides pet strollers and cleaning products. The operators of Old Fung Teahouse anticipate that opening their doors to dog owners could lead to an increase of up to 15% in business.

Kelvin Chan, owner of Wan Land Cafe, posted a sign indicating his establishment welcomes dogs. Previously, dogs were only allowed in the outdoor area of his cafe. "It could become part of our lives," Chan said.

Franco Li, a regular customer at Wan Land Cafe and owner of a Shiba Inu named Piku, supported the change. "This is such a great step forward for civilization," Li said.

Dog trainer Heyton Lee conducted a two-hour program simulating a restaurant environment to help train dogs for such settings. Lee, who has 19 years of experience, noted the importance of dogs being comfortable in public. "If a dog is just at home, when it goes out, it could get very nervous," Lee said. He also added, "Even if it's just that people want to touch them, they might not want to let people do that."

More than 240,000 households in Hong Kong keep over 400,000 pet cats and dogs, accounting for about 9% of the city's households. Since 1994, Hong Kong's food business regulation had only permitted guide dogs and dogs performing statutory duties in restaurants. The city currently allows pets on certain ferry routes and some metro trains in rural areas. Public hospitals in Hong Kong have also begun permitting pet visits for palliative care patients.