Hong Kong Restaurants Embrace Dogs Amid Ban Easing

WHO:

ABC News - Hong Kong dog owners and their pets

ABC News - Kelvin Chan, owner of Wan Land Cafe

ABC News - Franco Li, a regular at Wan Land Cafe

ABC News - Heyton Lee, a dog trainer with 19 years of experience

ABC News - Ma Ke, a tourist from mainland China

WHAT:

ABC News - Hong Kong has relaxed a rule allowing dogs in over 900 approved restaurants.

ABC News - The policy change allows dogs to join their owners at eateries, which previously only permitted guide dogs and those performing statutory duties.

ABC News - Dogs must be kept on a leash not exceeding 1.5 meters (5 feet) and cannot consume food directly from reusable human utensils.

ABC News - Restaurants cannot cook food for dogs but can offer prepackaged food.

ABC News - Old Fung Teahouse invested more than 10,000 Hong Kong dollars ($1,276) to prepare for the new policy.

WHERE:

ABC News - Hong Kong, specifically in over 900 approved restaurants and at Wan Land Cafe.

ABC News - Old Fung Teahouse, a dim sum restaurant in Hong Kong.

WHEN:

ABC News - The policy change took effect on Thursday.

WHY:

ABC News - The policy change aims to promote a pet-friendly culture and build an animal-friendly society in Hong Kong.

ABC News - The restaurant industry has been struggling, prompting the government to introduce a pet-friendly scheme.

HOW:

ABC News - Some dog owners have been attending “dog dining etiquette workshops” to prepare for the new measure.

ABC News - Heyton Lee's program simulates a restaurant setting to teach dogs to remain calm and behave appropriately in public spaces.

(UPDATED July 10, 2026 06:20 UTC)

Hong Kong has officially relaxed its rules to allow dogs in over 900 approved restaurants, a significant shift from the previous policy that only permitted guide dogs and those performing statutory duties. Under the new guidelines, dogs must be kept on a leash not exceeding 1.5 meters and cannot eat directly from human utensils, while restaurants can offer prepackaged food but cannot cook for pets. To help dog owners adjust, some have been attending “dog dining etiquette workshops,” where trainers like Heyton Lee teach dogs to remain calm and behave appropriately in public settings.