The Hong Kong government announced that 12 more parks will open to pets starting July 1, bringing the total number of pet-friendly parks in the city to 115. The new pet-inclusive government-run parks are spread across the SAR and include :
- Wing Lee Street Sitting-out Area – Central and Western
- North Point Ferry Concourse Promenade – Eastern
- Oil Street Sitting-out Area – Eastern
- Kwun Tong Promenade (designated areas) – Kwun Tong
- Lei Yue Mun Rest Garden – Kwun Tong
- Lei Yue Mun Typhoon Shelter Breakwater Sitting-out Area – Kwun Tong
- Sam Ka Tsuen Recreation Ground – Kwun Tong
- Yuet Wah Street Playground (designated areas) – Kwun Tong
- Waterloo Road/Wylie Road Sitting-out Area – Yau Tsim Mong
- Wylie Road Temporary Sitting-out Area – Yau Tsim Mong
- Tseung Kwan O Waterfront Park – Sai Kung
- Che Kung Miu Road Playground – Sha Tin
In April 2022, the government added 62 parks to its list of pet-inclusive parks, most notably at Sun Yat Sen Memorial Park and Central Pier Waterfront. However, these venues—like the parks that will allow pet entry from July 1—are not designed specifically for pets. They are existing parks recently outfitted with facilities such as dog excreta collection bins and hand-washing facilities.
Pet owners must therefore observe the Users’ Code that applies to these parks, which includes keeping dogs on their leashes, cleaning up after pets if they create a mess, and ensuring that pets do not cause a danger or nuisance to people and other pets in the park.
The city also has 52 dedicated off-leash dog and pet gardens across several districts in Hong Kong, which were designed keeping pet needs in mind. They include safety and hygiene amenities such as double pet gates, play equipment, drinking fountains and dog latrines.
Pet owners on the lookout for the best parks to take their pooches to can check out this list of the best dog-friendly parks in Hong Kong. There are also numerous pet-friendly beaches in the city where you can let your furry friends run free.
Header image credits: Ken Lo via Flickr