Hong Kong’s dog-friendly restaurant scheme has sparked a fierce online debate over public hygiene and pet behaviour, while a cafe chain branch opted out of the initiative just one day after it began.
While more than 940 restaurants opened their doors to owners and their dogs on Thursday, clips showing pets licking plates and sitting on dining tables and chairs have gone viral online. But other internet users also made the case that many canine diners had been well-behaved.
The debate raged as a branch of Cafe 100%, located in Ma On Shan’s Kam Ying Court Shopping Centre, posted a notice outside its premises on Friday saying it had opted out of the policy.
A staff member said the cafe had withdrawn over safety concerns for the animals.
“Our space is very tight, and staff are constantly carrying boiling water around, so we are concerned that dogs could easily get hurt,” she said, stressing that the decision was not the result of any complaints.
A check by the South China Morning Post on the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department’s website found that nine other Cafe 100% branches still had permission to welcome dogs.