Policy Address 2025: Pet dogs to be allowed inside restaurants under new licensing scheme

Hong Kong is set to relax a decades-old rule that bans pet dogs in restaurants, with the city’s leader announcing a new licensing scheme during his 2025 Policy Address.

Chief Executive John Lee told lawmakers at the Legislative Council on Wednesday that many businesses have been enacting pet-friendly policies lately.

“Government statistics show that more than 240,000 households in Hong Kong keep cats and dogs as pets. The pets amount to more than 400,000 – that generated [an] enormous consumption market, including food and products, healthcare, insurance, grooming, training and more,” he said.

“Clear signage will be put up by permitted restaurants so that customers know that dogs are allowed,” Lee said, adding that the policy would create new business opportunities for the food and beverage sector.

Currently, Hong Kong’s Food Business Regulation prohibits dogs from entering food premises, except for guide dogs and police dogs. The rule has been in place since 1994 – offenders could face fines of up to HK$10,000 and jail for up to three months.

A government source told HKFP on Wednesday that there would be a quota to limit the number of licences, but the figure would be set after consultation with the restaurant sector.

The source said that hygiene and safety conditions would be considered at each eatery, such as the proximity of food preparation areas to diners.

They added that restaurants’ licence renewals would be tied to the pet permit, meaning there would not be a separate process for renewals. Existing rules, whereby dogs over 20kg must be leashed in public, would still apply, though there are no plans to limit the size of pets allowed.

Pet-friendly policies

In February last year, authorities hinted that they were considering a relaxation of the rules. At the time, Secretary for Environment and Ecology Tse Chin-wan said the government would need to “strike a balance on the need to safeguard public health and hygiene.”

Between 2020 and 2024, the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department had carried out 17 prosecutions related to dogs in restaurants, according to a government reply to lawmaker Benson Luk in April.

Passengers are now allowed to take cats and dogs on light rail MTR trains following a trial. However, a long list of rules is in place. Pets are also now welcome on all Sun Ferry passenger routes.

Hong kong policy address 2025

Hong Kong to open 8 gov’t-run venues for commercial, private use

The Leisure and Cultural Services Department also said it would allow commercial advertising at 16 of its venues and facilities, including the external wall of City Hall’s High Block, the harbour-facing façade of the Cultural Centre, and the dome of the Hong Kong Space Museum.

Hong Kong NGO calls for legal reform as victims of non-consensual condom removal struggle to seek help

A total of 57 out of 277 respondents in the survey said they had experienced stealthing, also known as non-consensual condom removal.

60% of Hong Kong direct subsidy schools welcome trial to admit more international students

Dion Chen, chair of the Direct Subsidy Scheme Schools Council, gave assurance that the trial scheme would not affect local students’ admissions because the new spots are reserved only for international students.

35,000 imported workers in Hong Kong as of late August, labour chief says

Workers imported under the Enhanced Supplementary Labour Scheme (ESLS) accounted for around 1 per cent of the city’s labour force, Secretary for Labour and Welfare Chris Sun said.

HKFP Monitor September 20, 2025: Where did ‘Night Vibes’ go; Hong Kong as a hub of hubs

This week, we look into the strange disappearance of the Hong Kong government’s Night Vibes website and what happened to this marquee policy for reviving local tourism, retail and catering.

Policy Address 2025: Hong Kong leader pledges to help local media expand overseas, vows no interference

The media in Hong Kong received a rare mention in the 2025 Policy Address on Wednesday, when Chief Executive John Lee said the government will assist local press to expand their network beyond the city.

Policy Address 2025: Include ‘affirmative consent,’ NGO urges, as city leader vows to amend sexual offence laws

A supplement in Chief Executive John Lee’s Wednesday address states that the Security Bureau will aim to complete legislative amendments within the current term of the government.

Policy Address 2025: Greenpeace urges climate initiatives as lawmakers heap praise on leader’s annual speech

“The Policy Address focuses on adding hardware infrastructure without considering the environment’s carrying capacity,” Greenpeace wrote, adding it was concerned that the development of country parks could destroy Hong Kong’s natural landscapes.

Policy Address 2025: Hong Kong holds off on reviving public housing purchase scheme

Local media cited government sources on Wednesday as saying that the scheme had not been relaunched owing to “divisions” in society, including factors such as the discount rates and the views of public housing tenants.

Policy Address 2025: Hong Kong to expand student suicide emergency mechanism to upper primary

The Three-tier School-based Emergency Mechanism, rolled out in December 2023 amid an upward trend in student suicides, will become a permanent policy to strengthen support for those in need, Chief Executive John Lee said in his Policy Address on Wednesday.

More from the 2025 Policy Address

Something went wrong. Please refresh the page and/or try again.