Hong Kong, July 10: Hong Kong dog owners and their four-legged friends have gained new freedoms after the city relaxed a decades-old rule, allowing the pets to join them at eateries.

Since 1994, only guide dogs and those performing statutory duties have been allowed in restaurants under the city’s food business regulation. But the policy change aimed at promoting a pet-friendly culture kicked in Thursday, covering over 900 approved restaurants in the measure’s first phase.

It is the city’s latest step toward building an animal-friendly society. Hong Kong now allows pets on certain ferry routes and some metro trains serving rural areas, and public hospitals have started permitting pet visits for palliative care patients.

According to the government, more than 240,000 households in the city keep over 400,000 pet cats and dogs, accounting for about 9% of the city’s households.

At Wan Land Cafe, owner Kelvin Chan proudly put up a poster saying his establishment can welcome dogs. Previously, dogs were only allowed in its outdoor area, making it tough for the animals during the hot and humid Hong Kong summer.

Chan doesn’t think the new policy will bring a spike in business, but as a dog owner himself, he hopes that it will cultivate a more pet-friendly society. He noted that while dog lovers welcome the change, it might be a challenge for those who are not used to eating out with dogs around.

He hopes that responsible pet owners in restaurants and other public spaces will eventually help nonpet lovers warm up to the idea and understand that being inclusive of pets is a progressive move.

“It could become part of our lives,” he said.

Franco Li, a regular at this cafe, said his Shiba, named Piku, is happy to have embraced a new way of living that allows it to join Li around the dining table and play with other dog friends.

“This is such a great step forward for civilisation,” Li said, holding Piku in his arms.

To prepare for the change, some dog owners have been taking their pets to “dog dining etiquette workshops”.

Heyton Lee, a dog trainer for 19 years, was particularly busy ahead of the new measure. His two-hour program that simulated a restaurant setting started with dog owners walking around the restaurant to encourage their pets to stay calm and not get overly excited when they see their dog friends.

Lee also demonstrated some hand signs which are commonly used to instruct dogs to behave. The main goal was to teach dogs to be calm and show them how to take part in human society. For example, helping them understand that when people walk past them, the humans do not intend to kick them, he said.

“If a dog is just at home, when it goes out, it could get very nervous. Even if it’s just that people want to touch them, they might not want to let people do that,” he said.

Under the new measure, dogs must be kept on a leash not exceeding 1.5 metres (5 feet) that must be held by an adult or tied to a fixture. The dogs should also be kept off tables and may not consume food directly from reusable human utensils.

Dogs considered to be among the “fighting breed” by government standards are not allowed in the establishments at all.

Restaurants cannot cook food for the dogs but can offer prepackaged food to the pets.

Many eateries have also geared up to welcome their furry customers, with some of them hoping it would help boost their revenues.

Old Fung Teahouse, a dim sum restaurant, invested more than 10,000 Hong Kong dollars ($1,276) in its preparation, installing an air purifier and setting up simple partitions to separate an area for tables serving pet owners. It also provides pet strollers and cleaning products. Its operators hope opening up to dogs might bring up to a 15% increase in business.

Ma Ke, a tourist from mainland China, was happy with the restaurant’s handling of the new measure.

“By separating an area for dogs and their owners, this restaurant is managing the situation well, because it makes it easier for customers who are not that used to being with dogs to accept the situation,” he said.-Agencies