Hong Kong Restaurants Embrace Dogs with New Pet-Licensing Scheme

Over 900 restaurants in Hong Kong eagerly embraced pets on the first day of a novel scheme permitting entry to canines, a notable shift after a three-decade-old crackdown due to rabies concerns. Chinese restaurants, fast-food chains, and coffee shops kicked off the initiative by welcoming patrons accompanied by their dogs, who joyfully dined at eateries citywide. The Food and Environmental Hygiene Department authorized 940 establishments to receive dogs, eliminating the ambiguity of pet-friendly locations existing in outdoor areas only. At The Wai shopping center, Canton House, a Chinese restaurant, catered to a continuous influx of visitors in the morning, including…