HONG KONG – Dogs will be allowed into 1,000 selected food premises across Hong Kong starting July 9, according to the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD).
The 1,000 eateries were selected through an open ballot on Friday. The FEHD had received 2,205 applications between May 18 and June 8.
All applicants will receive their ballot results via SMS, the department said in a notification.
Officers from the FEHD will visit the selected food premises on Tuesday and Wednesday to deliver approval letters and brief the operators on statutory requirements, license conditions and compliance arrangements, said an FEHD spokesman.
Successful operators must pay a HK$140 ($17.9) fee by June 24 to complete the license amendment process.
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“If applicants fail to complete the procedures within the specific period, or give up the eligibility for other reasons, the FEHD will arrange other applicants on the waiting list to fill the vacancies according to the sequential order from the ballot result,” added the spokesman.
Approved premises will receive designated A3-sized signage, which must be displayed prominently at their main entrances starting July 9 so that the public can easily identify dog-friendly venues.
Besides launching a public awareness campaign through television and radio announcements to promote the new arrangements, the FEHD will also place advertisements at bus stops, Mass Transit Railway stations and on the exterior walls of government buildings.
