The Hong Kong government has allowed 1,000 restaurants to let dogs inside, marking the first step in changing long-term hygiene rules.

香港政府已允許 1,000 家餐廳讓犬隻進入，這是改變長期衛生條例的第一步。

The Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) used a random lottery on Friday to give out 1,000 permits. Out of 2,205 applications, 1,616 were eligible after removing duplicates and businesses that were not allowed to apply, such as barbecue and hotpot restaurants. The permits were split across the city, with 343 for Hong Kong Island, 326 for Kowloon, and 331 for the New Territories. Wan Chai had the most permits with 111.

食物環境衛生署 (FEHD) 週五透過隨機抽籤發出 1,000 份許可證。在 2,205 份申請中，剔除重複申請及不合資格的商號（如燒烤與火鍋店）後，共有 1,616 份符合資格。許可證分佈於全港各地，香港島 343 份，九龍 326 份，新界 331 份。灣仔獲發最多，共 111 份。

This change follows a new law passed in early May that ended a decades-old ban on dogs in eateries. To follow the rules, restaurant owners must pay a HK$140 fee, update their licenses by June 24, and put up clear signs at their entrances. Additionally, dogs must be kept on leashes no longer than 1.5 meters and must be held by an adult. However, fighting dogs or animals officially classified as dangerous are still strictly banned.

此次變更係根據 5 月初通過的新法案，結束了數十年來禁止犬隻進入餐飲場所的禁令。為了遵守規定，餐廳老闆必須支付 140 港元費用，在 6 月 24 日前更新執照，並在入口處張貼清晰標誌。此外，犬隻必須繫上長度不超過 1.5 公尺的牽繩，且必須由成年人牽領。然而，鬥犬或被正式列為危險的動物仍被嚴格禁止。

Business owners have different opinions about the new policy. Some emphasized that this is a positive step forward, as they previously had to be very careful when letting dogs in to avoid fines. On the other hand, some operators asserted that 1,000 permits are not enough for the total number of restaurants. A government official suggested that the number of permits might increase in the future, but this depends on whether the first group of restaurants succeeds and if customers remain respectful.

業主對新政策看法不一。部分人士強調這是積極的一步，因為先前讓犬隻進入時必須非常小心，以避免被罰款。另一方面，部分經營者主張 1,000 份許可證對於餐廳總數而言不足。一名政府官員表示，許可證數量在未來可能會增加，但這取決於首批餐廳的執行成效以及顧客是否保持禮貌。

A limited number of restaurants will start welcoming dogs in July, as long as they follow the specific safety and leash rules.

只要遵守特定的安全與牽繩規定，少數餐廳將於 7 月開始歡迎犬隻進入。