HONG KONG - Dog-friendly restaurants are set to be increasingly commonplace in Hong Kong starting from June at the earliest, under a new voluntary license program announced by the city's authorities on Tuesday.

The program's first phase will offer 500 to 1,000 licenses, except for hotpot and barbecue establishments, according to the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department.

Law amendments will be submitted to the Legislative Council in the first quarter, while applications are expected to be submitted in May, with the first batch of licenses to be granted the following month.

China Daily's photographer Andy Chong took the photos on Tuesday.